The Long Steps In-Between
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: Cubbi Gummi begins his training under Sir Plucki of Gummadoon. Aside from the training to be a knight, the years ahead are full with other adventures, lessons and triumphs. Follow Cubbi Gummi as he makes new friends, grows in all new ways and forms a stronger bond with his new teammates than he thought possible. A series of one-shots detailing Cubbi's growth from squire to knight.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Opening New Doors

 **Time Frame: Just after the end of Growing Up. Cubbi is nine years old.**

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

Gruffi scowled but managed a smirk with a reminder from Grammi as they walked. Zummi had stayed behind with Sunni, Tummi and Gusto. They had already said their farewells. Sunni, as per usual, tried to be nonchalant about it but there were still some tears and "I'll miss yous" exchanged. As for Tummi, he was as sensitive as ever and had not been able to let Cubbi leave without a strong, almost crushing hug. Zummi had been nearly as bad and even Gusto, usually their resident goofball had been strangely emotional, wrapping the cub in a tight embrace and ruffling his hair, telling him "show 'em all that energy, Cubster."

So that left him and Grammi to actually say their goodbyes at the city itself. They had left later than they had liked, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they suddenly had their halls full again, after years of being empty. Every time Gruffi turned around, he was met with a new face, with new personalities that had no idea how the Glen ran, how they did things, what things needed work still. Despite the influx of nearly a hundred gummies into the Glen halls, it was no secret that Gruffi was still the de facto leader. In fact, their newly returned cousins welcomed the idea of following one that had been dedicating their lives to preserving their way of life.

However, that also meant that it was hard for Gruffi to go ANYWHERE without having to be overseeing a project. So far, half of their old hallways had been reopened and the repairs were moving steadily. The wonders of gummi ingenuity had yet to fail them and with so many creative minds under one roof, Gruffi loved it. Grammi had spent about two hours trying to get him to come with her so that they could finally go to Gummadoon already! Finally, Cubbi had just grabbed his bag and took off out of the Glen, leaving Gruffi and Grammi to pursue. Gruffi griped about it at first until Grammi reminded him that if he had simply left when they originally said they were going to (two hours past) that this would not have happened. Aside from making a remark about Cubbi needing to learn to wait, he said nothing else on the topic.

That led them to where they were currently. Gummadoon loomed just over the horizon and Grammi and Gruffi were a ways behind Cubbi, who powered on as full of energy as ever. He was hopping from one foot to the other as they made their way down the slope, urging them on but barely stopping long enough for them to keep him in sight. He tore ahead, grinning the whole time, clutching his knapsack close to his chest. Grammi carried a second bag with necessities but Cubbi had insisted he had packed "all he needed." Grammi had not tried to argue with him and had simply thrown together a second bag. It was hard to get angry with him with as excited as he was. After all, this was a life long dream coming true for him, in more ways than one.

Sir Plucki had always been his favorite knight out of all their stories. Now, he got to achieve his dream with the knight who had started that dream, from the very first time Zummi had told him the legend of Gummadoon, when the cub was barely three years of age. Ever since then, knighthood had been firmly carved on his heart and he never lost faith in achieving it. Now, with the peace they had just dreamed about finally achieved, Gummadoon had returned for keeps and Sir Plucki had been quick to give Cubbi the offer he wanted. Grammi and Gruffi had seen it coming but all the same, this walk was heart-breaking.

Squires lived with their mentors. Cubbi wouldn't be returning to the Glen with them. Plucki would take over their cub's rearing until he reached 18, when he would finally be given the title of 'Sir Cubbi' he coveted so much. Then, he would most likely stay in Gummadoon as one of their many warriors. If he returned to the Glen, at all, it would be for brief periods and never again to live, never again to be permanent. Cubbi had asked them to help him take down his rope swing. He and Gruffi had spent the night before putting away his many carved knight plaques. They would be coming with him. When Gruffi had gone to wake the kid up this morning, he'd found the cub had folded his blankets, set them on the bed's end. When Grammi had presented him with some maple-nut cookies, despite the early hour and his hatred of them, he'd accepted. With a laugh, he'd asked that Sunni not be allowed to turn his room into a large closet.

Gruffi walked a little slower.

Cubbi finally stopped when he got to the gates, greeting the two guards there with a mile wide grin.

The taller of the guards, a pale yellow gummi with a green colored rank, chuckled, "Well, don't you have the energy of ten cubs, kiddo?"

Cubbi nodded, "Plucki said I get to come and be his squire. I start today!"

His partner, a gummi of orange color and red rank, knelt to his level, "Oh, so you're the Captain's new squire, eh? He certainly has talked you up."

Cubbi blinked, his eyes huge as his two guardians finally caught up to him, "REALLY? He's been talkin' about me?"

The knight laughed out loud, "I'd say that's about the only thing he has been talking about lately. Never thought we'd see the Captain take on a squire."

Cocking his head slightly, Cubbi inquired, "Really? Why?"

The yellow gummi responded, "Know how much work it is to be a Captain, kiddo? We always figured he was too busy for one." He winked at the cub, "You must have impressed him somethin' fierce!"

If Cubbi's grin got any wider, it would have split his face. Grammi came up behind him at that point, saying, "Cubbi Gummi, where are your manners? Introduce yourself."

Cubbi frowned at her, "You just did, Grammi." He reminded her, pointing, "Besides, I tol' em I was his squire, they know who I am."

Grammi shot the cub a look that withered anyone, Gruffi included. Ears drooped, Cubbi turned back to the two knights, "Nice to meet you, I'm Cubbi Gummi, this is Grammi and this is Gruffi."

The orange furred one gave the boy a light chuckle and salute, "Well met, Squire Cubbi-" Cubbi could not resist a squeal at that title, though he tried desperately to keep it hidden (failing miserably) "Sir Burgess," he stated, pointing to himself and then gestured to his yellow colored companion, "and this is Sir Quimbi."

He gave a nod to the older two gummies, stating "Well met, Grammi, Gruffi of Gummi Glen,"

Gruffi gave a nod, "Plucki's expectin' us, right?"

Burgess nodded, "Of course. He should be in the training courtyard—"

The anxious pink furred cub had darted through the gates before they even opened completely. Grammi called after him with no avail and Gruffi shook his head, "Kid can't wait to save his life."

Burgess and Quimbi exchanged glances, smirking, "He'll learn." They assured the two adults. "Before you head in, can we get you some water?" Burgess inquired, "Then we'll be glad to take you right to Plucki. He'll have just as many questions for you as he will for that bundle of energy."

Gummadoon was huge! Cubbi remembered the way to the training field though. It was pretty hard to miss quite frankly. There were some knights on the beams, of either green or yellow rank, he saw upon closer inspection. He knew the colors meant the type of level, expertise and experience a knight had but aside from knowing blue was the top rank, he didn't know what the other levels were. In any event, there were a good fifty knights out! It was super-crowded! He remembered there being less the last time he was here but then…maybe that had been a special occasion or some such.

There were commands being shouted every which way, though not with malice. Orders yes, but not with urgency. Seemed like they were practicing certain routines and not just training. The more he thought about that, it sure made sense. After all, there had to be plans and stuff for battles, right? It was still really neat to watch. They seemed to move in complete unison, without even looking at one another. Then there were some of the yellow ranked ones on the training posts that would move and dodge, without even looking! Was he gonna learn how to do that?

Cubbi tightened his bag closer to him, not trusting it not to get snagged on something and his eyes darted about, trying to locate the Captain of the Guard. The knights had said he was in the training field. That was here but where was he? There were so many gummies here, how was he going to find one gummi, even one as important as Sir Plucki? Not one to be deterred however, the cub darted to the left, getting out of the majority of the crowd and utilizing his small size, he crept along the huge array of knights.

He was definitely getting the impression that green was the lowest rank, simply because so many of the knights with green on their uniform were young looking. A lot of them looked nervous too, like they hadn't been doing this very long. Not all of them to be sure but quite a few of them. The older ones still looked a bit out of place, like they were still figuring their way around. Maybe they had transferred from another city to Gummadoon? He was sure knights could do that. Still, amid the sea of green and an occasional yellow, the cub did not spy the golden furred gummi he sought. Looking a bit closer to the castle walls, he did spy at least one gummi with a red insignia, barking orders here and there at the other knights. He reminded Cubbi a wee bit of Gruffi if a bit more stern (which was an amazing concept to him to be frank.) He seemed to remember him from the last time Gummadoon was here. Not much to remember except he really didn't seem to listen to him very well. Cubbi remembered all too well when people ignored him; it happened far too much for his liking.

So, not about to approach a gummi that most likely would have shooed him away from what he could remember, he continued about his way, weaving through adults who at least had the courtesy to step aside and not run him over. That was a small comfort at least. While it was hard to see outwardly, Cubbi was getting a tad uncomfortable. His goal was to find Plucki and get this process started. Plucki had told him that when he and his clan came to drop him off and officially enter him as a squire that it was process, that it would take time.

He was already coming late in the day thanks to Gruffi draggin' his feet and now he was lost in the stupid training grounds! This was all going horrible!

After a good ten minutes of having no luck, he paused, forced himself to think calm; nearly hit his head in recognition of his stupidity.

And turned and tugged on the nearest knight's tunic, "'Cuse me."

The knight, a yellow ranked knight of green fur and messy black hair, smirked, "Hey squirt."

Wrinkling his nose with indignation, the boy pouted, "I'm not THAT short. But have you seen Sir Plucki?"

The knight laughed out loud, "Ah, so you're the new squire. You're in the right place kiddo," he assured the boy, kneeling to his level, pointing. "See that door over there?" he asked, gesturing to a large oak door that led into the main Palace. When the small cub gave a nod of recognition, he stated, "That's the Captain's office. He was just out here but went inside to get some paperwork or some such. Just run over and knock. He won't bite."

Chirping a cheerful "thanks!" the pink furred child took off at a decent jog, though one would not call it a run by any means. At least he had the knowledge to slow down when there were so many gummies about. He certainly was a rambunctious one though. He looked forward to seeing how the twerp would turn out. He had some spirit. That was always a good sign with the trainees. If it was the same Cubbi he had heard stories about (and their Captain rarely babbled on about someone unless it was worth the trouble) then he was anxious to see what kind of knight he would turn into.

"Sir Timothi!" a booming voice called out, "Are you going to rejoin us or day dream the rest of the exercise?"

Rolling his eyes, he called back, "Coming, Sir Ramsei." Pushing himself back towards the field, he muttered to one of the knights at his side, a gummi of red fur and rust hair who was his good friend Sir Hardi, "Slavedriver."

"Per usual." Was the snarky response.

The door seemed more inviting than Cubbi pictured. He figured that any office belonging to a knight as important as Sir Plucki would just illuminate his status and heroic deeds but this one was not that much different than the doors at the Glen. Well, it was made of a different kind of wood, he could see that but aside from that, he might as well have been knocking on a door to Sunni or Tummi's room. Still, his excitement nearly burst out of his skin!

Reaching up on his tip toes, he rapped three times on the door in rapid succession but restrained from knocking again.

Nearly hopping from foot to foot, he grinned widely as Sir Plucki opened the door, his eyes shimmering. "There you are, my lad. We were wondering when you'd find me."

Surprised, Cubbi eyed the Captain, confusion clear on his face as the adult stepped aside to let him enter, "We?"

"Yeah, we." A voice spoke up.

Cubbi turned, finding Grammi and Gruffi sitting in the nearby chairs around the desk in the centermost part of the room. Cubbi stepped back slightly, but had to ask, "How did you—"

Grammi laughed, though kindly, "Cubbi, dear if you would just learn to wait a little bit, it would save lots o' hassle. Sir Burgess and Quinci showed us in."

Embarrassment colored the cub's cheeks a moment. Swell, his first moment here was being humiliated.

Then, Sir Plucki's deep chuckling jolted him from his self-destructive thoughts as the knight gently nudged his shoulder, "Aw, no worries my lad. I did the same when I became a page."

At the thought of Sir Plucki doing anything similar to him, the cub's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Indeed, I did." The knight assured him, leading him over to a third chair between Grammi and Gruffi before reclaiming his own seat behind the desk. "I rushed ahead, just as you did, only to find myself a bit lost and my mother scolding me when I finally found her with my mentor." He chuckled here, seeing as well as the others, how alike he and Cubbi seemed to be acting already. That was a good sign. "It's natural to be excited over starting such a major milestone, my lad. Don't continue to blame yourself for it."

Relieved, Cubbi, eyes always wondering, took in the details of the room. It was fairly small; though not so small it felt claustrophobic. There were lots of files on the shelves next to the desk and lots of papers covering the desk itself. Well lit lamps and candles gave the whole room a bit of a homey glow. There were portraits scattered about the room, some of large groups of gummies, some of small. It looked like the cubs in all the portraits wore the same thing—white and blue tunic with blue shoes and a golden emblem in the middle with one blue strip on one sleeve. Were these the squires? Curiosity was nearly making him jump right up out of his seat again!

Another thing that to Cubbi seemed a bit odd was that there were drawing, paintings and even some clay artworks about the room as well. They were of varying skill level and some looked old, some looked new. Were these from the squires and pages? Were they allowed to give gifts like that? He never thought about it but it made sense. After all, the squires lived here and spent all their time with the knights, right? Actually, on that same note, what did they get to do when they weren't trainin-

"Now, Cubbi," Plucki's voice brought him back to the present and he jerked back to attention, "I know you're anxious and excited but I do need to get some basic information first." The Captain pulled out of the files from the bookshelves, "See these?"

When Cubbi gave a nod, the Captain continued, "I keep files on all my fighters, both knight and squire. It lets me stay informed on things I need to know and gives me an idea of what training methods might work best." He laid a hand on his chin and asked, "Why else do you think I might need information on the people I train, hmm?"

Frowning a moment, Cubbi pondered this before answering, "Well, I guess you needa know the kinda people you work with." He paused, yelling at himself as that was exactly what Plucki just said. Rather than be embarrassed again, he quickly decided to elaborate, "So you can give them the jobs and stuff they're good at." Great, that wasn't much different than what Plucki said though it was…a bit different. After all, he was talking about actual jobs and duties, Plucki had just said training. That…wasn't the same, right?

Nodding, Plucki reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, "You're a smart lad," he praised gently. "That's one of the reasons. What else?"

"Hmm…well, what if one of your knights gets sick or something?" he inquired. Gummies were healthy but they still got sick every so often. Even knights. Heck...what DID happen when knights got sick?

Another nod, "Right again, my boy." He assured him, "Is there anything else that comes to your mind?"

When Cubbi went quiet, the knight smiled, "Well, Cubbi, I personally enjoy celebrating their accomplishments, their years, as much as anyone else. It's like having a bunch of brothers, cousins and sons." He gave the cub a gentle smile, thumbing his nose as he leaned across the desk, "I look forward to learning more about you. The little bit I already know already fascinates me. I see great potential in you, lad."

Cubbi beamed widely, still clutching his knapsack close to his side. "Thanks, Sir Plucki!"

The Captain gave a nod in response, "Now, before I get to knowing you better, let me lay out the basics of training for you and Gruffi and Grammi, alright, my lad?"

Anxious to hear more, Cubbi nodded fast, almost too fast. He wanted to be seen as a boy ready to be a knight, not a silly little kid. As much as he wanted to squeal at his dream literally coming true right in front of his eyes, he forced his body to be still. He needed to know this too. Plucki had explained some of it before but now he would hear it completely. He knew from his previous adventures with Sir Gallent that knighthood was no picnic. He could tell from the few knights he had been blessed with meeting that to become that great would not be an overnight thing. It shouldn't be! After all, your city would be depending on you!

Plucki addressed all three of his guests, though he certainly focused the core of his attention on the cub in front of him. That really made Cubbi feel important. Plucki was focusing on him!

"Training is a long process, lad. When you complete everything and take your vow to be knighted, you'll be eighteen. Are you ready for that long a process?"

Cubbi nodded, "I knew it would be a long time, Sir Plucki," Cubbi reassured him, "I know that human ways are different but Cavin hasta wait until he's 21 or somethin' like that. Said that there's a lot to learn and that if you try and cram it all in, you don't remember it. 'Sides, I wanna be the greatest knight ever!" Okay, why did he say that? Gum, that made him sound conceited. But…well, it was true! "Grammi and Zummi tell me all these stories and stuff, a lot of your stories Sir Plucki and I love them! I wanna be able to do that and I'll learn whatever I hafta!" Maybe that helped him a bit.

Letting a little laugh out, Plucki stated, "I'm glad to hear that, Cubbi. Training to be a knight covers all areas. You learn strategy yes but you also learn communication, you learn different fighting styles, you learn teamwork and you learn basic education."

Cubbi blinked, "What's that mean?"

Plucki smiled at the young boy, "We consider basic education anything that helps someone create a strong intellectual basis." He chuckled lightly, clarifying, "Meaning, my lad, that you'll be learning things that help you to understand the world, appreciate our traditions and grow as best you can. To simplify it, I mean you'll be expected to learn history, math, reading and writing, languages, science and a few other things." He caught Cubbi's look of surprise and a bit of doubt but saw great appreciation emerge from Grammi and Gruffi.

"We've taught him some." Gruffi felt inclined to offer, "He's a smart kid. Too smart sometimes for his own good." He teased lightly as Grammi sent him a glare. The female gummi added,

"We didn't exactly have formal teachers in the Glen. We all taught him what we could."

Plucki cut her off with an understand glance, "I am sure you provided what you were able to. Cubbi has a sharp wit about him. That doesn't just pop out of nowhere. Learning's been nourished in him." Setting his sights back on the boy, he smiled to alleviate the look of nervousness that took the child's face, "Worry not, young squire." He gently coached, "We have a very clever teacher, Lady Ivori. She teaches all our squires and pages three times a week. She'll be glad to clarify anything you don't understand, as will I. As will any of the knights here." He winked at the boy, "We're all here as support to make you reach your dream, Cubbi, not to make the journey harder."

Swallowing his nerves, Cubbi beamed, "I learn fast, Sir Plucki. Gruffi's taught me lotsa stuff and Zummi taught me history and Grammi tells me lotsa stories. I can learn!"

The Gummadoon Captain gave a chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm, "I could tell from the last time we met lad that you had the fire for knighthood…for ALL of it. I'm glad to see it was a fire that's been stoked over time. So, tell me one last thing before I actually get down to the factual non-fun necessities—WHY do you want to be a knight so badly?"

Cubbi frowned, thinking but the answer came very quickly. He just hoped it was the RIGHT answer, "Well, I like adventures and stuff but really, I wanna be able to help people." He admitted frankly. "I like going on adventures with Cavin because someone always gets helped in the end. I like exploring the woods and stuff cause there's always somethin' new there and there's all these baddies that hang out now and no one is stopping them. That isn't right. I…" he paused, glanced first at Gruffi then at Grammi before he went on. He hated making them worry so he was a bit reluctant about this next piece but it had to be said! "I know they try to keep quiet about it but I've seen Grammi and Gruffi get all worried at night sometimes. Usually it was 'cause of being lonely but I also saw it when Igthorn started to come after us and after Cavin and Calla. They were…sad." He shook his head at the memory and locked eyes with the Captain, "I don't wanna see eyes that sad. I wanna STOP eyes from being that sad."

Grammi eyed the little cub, "Cubbi dear, land's sakes…"

"I know you guys were tryin' to hide it but sometimes Sunni and I could catch it." He shrugged, "I know you guys like to protect us and stuff but sometimes we still see it." He eyed them both, smiling first at Grammi then at Gruffi, "It's not right that anyone should feel that way. Ever." He looked back to Plucki, "So, I wanna be a knight to protect people, to make sure they don't have to be afraid or sad…" He swallowed. That answer had felt right. Grammi always told him to speak his heart, that your heart never would lead you wrong. If Gruffi's smile, a REAL ear to ear smile, was any indication then maybe she was right!

The Gummadoon knight smiled, reached across and grasped the boy firmly by the shoulder, " I could not have asked for a better response."

Cubbi's eyes perked up and his ears raised, "Really?" he beamed.

The Captain smiled, "Something that I try to teach all our trainees Cubbi is something you already know. The heart of a knight is their greatest asset. I can teach you almost anything about being a knight, lad. Strategy. Weapons. Communication. Tactics to control fear." His grin widened and he tightened his grip on Cubbi's shoulder. "But the heart of a knight, my boy... To serve, to protect, to put others before one's self. That cannot be taught. But if a gummi does not possess that, no amount of study can bring him to knighthood." He gave the lad's cheek a gentle dig, saying, "You have the heart."

Plucki addressed the adults now. "You're willing to relinquish him to my care for training."

Grmami nodded, though it was with tears "It breaks my heart to see him off but he's been talkin' about this since he could talk."

"Before." Gruffi countered. "Pointing at pictures and making armor out of anything he could find. We used ta get him to clean his room by tellin' him knights like things tidy. And... That heart thing." Gruffi cleared his throat, trying to keep his own at bay. "Cubbi has never abandoned his friends or his family. Didn't matter the risk. That heart and spirit of his go hand in hand and... well... That's all I gotta say." Uncomfortable with the amount and quality of his words, Gruffi's feet shuffled and he preferred not to meet anyone's gaze

Plucki smiled "My best knights are my most spirited ones." As the Captain spoke, he slid a piece of paper across the desk to Grammi and Gruffi. "Can I have your signature for that then?"

Cubbi eyed both of them, his eyes shining, grinning so widely he surely should have split his cheek bones. Despite tears blurring her vision, Grammi took up the quill she was offered and signed the bottom, granting her permission to give her youngest over to the trials of war preparation. They had a chance for peace now. May that peace keep her youngest cub safe. She passed the quill over to Gruffi. The brown furred bear took it slowly, an Grammi could feel the slight tremor to his hands. Cubbi put his hands on Gruffi's lap, hugging his tightly around the waist in thanks. With that, a small smile made its way across the bear's face and he shakenly added his own name to Grammi's.

Thanking them silently with a nod, the Captain turned to the excited boy in front of him, "I need your name too Cubbi. I need YOUR permission to train you too you know!"

Ecstatic at being able to have such a hand in his own dream, Cubbi took the quill from Gruffi and shifted to his knees to better reach. "Just my first name or my whole name."

"Your whole name if you can spell it, your first name if not." The Captain smirked at the boy's enthusiasm, at his contagious energy. "Don't worry about it being fancy, lad. Long as it's your handwriting, that;s good enough."

Reassured, the cub spelled out his whole name in choppy writing but legible, if barely: Cubbi Koi Gummi.

Taking the page from the boy, as well as the quill, in a seemingly liquid fashion, the Captain signed his own name below the threesome of signatures, making Cubbi's eyes bulge out, for more than one reason. First, because this was the first real true step towards his dream and two…well, Plucki's handwriting was like the handwriting in those fancy art books he saw in the library! Big swoops on the S and P and all that! It was that weird fancy writing that he saw Zummi use some times. The Captain seemed to catch his eyes and gave a low chortle, "You'll learn that in time."

That seemed impossible to Cubbi but he was willing to believe it if Sir Plucki was sure of it!

That done, Plucki pulled out a fresh piece of paper, with lots of writing on it but lots of blank spaces too. He took up his quill again and smiled at the rambunctious boy, "This is where I get a lot of boring facts Cubbi. If you don't know them, you can ask Grammi or Gruffi or we can skip them, okay?" he grinned, "The more of this I can get, I'll have a better idea of what might work best with you…and I can know what kind of dessert to tell the cooks to make you."

A gap toothed grin at that. "Okay, Sir Plucki!"

That said, Plucki started right at the top, "Well, I already know your full name, lad. Cubbi Koi, right?"

Nodding, Cubbi wrinkled his nose, "I hate my middle name."

Plucki responded gently, "I think all cubs do. I won';t use it unless I have to, alright? Does that seem a fair deal?"

Cubbi eyed his Captain and responded, "If I can know yours." There was a teasing cheekiness to his tone but he wanted to see what Plucki'd say. He knew Grammi's middle name and Sunni and Tummi's but that was it. He always wondered about things like that.

Grammi eyed Cubbi, "That isn't polite, Cubbi—"

"It's alright, milady." Plucki interrupted her. "It seems fair enough to me. I know his and promise not to use it unless I have to. The same applies here. You'll know mine and promise the same, alright Cubbi?" At the boy's nod of acceptance, the Captain gave his answer, "Lithium." Cubbi gave a nose wrinkle and Plucki laughed out loud and stated, "Now you know that the 'I hate my middle name' does not just apply to the cubs."

Nodding, Cubbi turned back to business, scolding himself mentally for getting distracted, "Right, guess not. What's the next one, Plucki?"

"Well, what day do we get to spoil you with cake and celebrations for your birthday?"

Easy one! "July 30th, Sir Plucki." He grinned, "I'll be ten this year!"

"Ten already, eh?" Plucki smirked as he jotted the information down, teasing, "Already into two digits?"

Nodding firmly, the cub was surprised by the Captain's next question, "So what kind of present should I have in mind for you, hmm?"

Taken off guard, the cub blinked. First off, what could he say that wouldn't sound super childish. He still had some toys he liked to play with that Grammi had insisted he take with him but how would THAT sound? He was going ot be a knight! Besides that, he just got done telling Plucki he put others before himself! No, he wouldn't sound selfish, he refused. Besides, THIS was true anyway! "Sir Plucki THIS is my present! Getting to do this is the best gift EVER!"

Chuckling again, the Captain responded, "I'll surprise you." However, he didn't linger on it and quickly went on, not wanting to make the boy feel awkward. "Alright…"

So continued the questions for about another half hour. Cubbi answered most of them himself, and rather proud that he could do so. So far as they knew, the boy had no allergies, he was able to give Plucki his favorite foods and stories, and pass a couple of simple math and reading questions to give the Captain a gage of his skill (Plucki noticed his reading was rather poor but that could easily be corrected) and then Plucki addressed the developmental questions with Gruffi and Grammi. As always, he had told Cubbi that if he knew, he could answer but he also told the cub that it would not be unusual not to know these questions.

This was always the "embarrassing" part for the squires, given it asked when the cubs had started to walk, talk, whether they had wet the bed, had problems with speech or motor skills and things of that nature. Cubbi, to his credit, had not made a lot of vocal comments though when Grammi told Plucki he had wet the bed until he was six and had broken his habit of sucking his thumb at seven the boy had groaned and laid his face onto folded arms. Gruffi had ruffled the cub's hair and Cubbi had simply moaned, "Did you hafta tell him that?"

Plucki, well used to this reaction, merely remarked, "Nothing uncommon about that, lad. Everyone has habits that carry over from infancy. I'd be more concerned if you didn't have any habits like that. The fact that you've already broken them is impressive." Grammi reached over and stroked over the cub's ears,

"Cubbi, dear, it's normal. He needs to know these things so he can let the healer know if you get sick."

"How 'bout I just don't get sick?" he moaned from his nest of folded arms.

Knowing that little would help that dinged pride, Plucki just moved onto the next question, "So, Cubbi, can you tell me if you've broken any bones on your little adventures?"

That seemed to push a little more life into his form and he looked up finally and shook his head, "No. Gruffi says I must be made of rock."

Grammi chuckled, "I'd say that more describes Gruffi's head, dear. You just happen to be lucky."

Cubbi eyed Grammi, stating, "More than lucky, Grammi." He was sure that yes, he had been lucky but he wanted some credit. "I can take care of myself too!" He knew that she thought he could, somewhat, but sometimes she still treated him like he was a baby. He knew that she didn't mean to do it but she did! Last thing he wanted her to do was to do that here! He knew he could be a troublemaker but couldn't he she bring up his triumphs here? Well…he supposed she wasn't insulting him per say because he WAS lucky but still…

Plucki finally put down his quill, "Alright. One last thing, Cubbi. You remember meeting Sarrika on your last time here?"

Nodding, Cubbi responded simply "Yeah, she was pretty nice." That was true. He didn't remember too much of her but he did remember that she'd been nice. He was still not used to meeting so many new gummies. It was a little nerve wracking but exciting all the same! He couldn't wait to explore the rest of Gummadoon and meet more gummies! He had only seen so little of the place! What else was there to see? To do? What happened next? Where would he stay? Where did they eat? Where—

Answering the numerous unspoken questions Plucki could see were just on the tip of the boy's tongue, he walked about the desk, taking a single sheet of paper with him from his stack, taking the boy's hand to pull him up from the chair, "We need to have Sarrika clear you for training, just a quick medical exam and then we'll have you take the training vow and we will be all set to get you settled in, alright?"

The cub nodded excitedly and followed Sir Plucki's footfalls, almost right on the knight's heels. He never meant to leave his two clan members in the dust but in his excitement, he nearly forgot they were there, stepping over Gruffi's legs and darting out the door. Gruffi got up slowly, Grammi following. She still clutched Cubbi's knapsack to her side, sighing deeply, head down. Answering all those questions took her back so many years. She remembered the little baby who would wake her up screaming at night. She remembered the cub that took his first steps to yank down Gruffi's tool box and just laugh at the horror on their faces as the tools rained down around him and somehow miraciously missed him.

Now, she had just signed the right for him, at nine years old, to be taken from her arms and trained to enter war.

Gruffi eyed her and stated, "Let's catch up with them. We should see this vow."

Grammi looked at her hands, "Gruffi Gummi…"

Gruffi narrowed his eyes at her, "Don't get all gushy on me. You know he's been askin' for this since he was born practically!"

She narrowed her eyes right back at him, her face set in a permanent scowl, "Ya act like that makes this any easier. You don't fool me Gruffi Gummi. That cub's as attached to you and he is to me. Ya may act like this ain't buggin' you but it is!"

Gruffi huffed through clenched teeth. He would not break down here. He refused. "Doesn't do any good to focus on that, does it? Just like when we were gonna let him go with Chummi. Nobody's gonna deny that's the kid's future."

Grammi worried her apron into a knot. "I'm not about to hold that cub back. It's just..." She walked over, put a hand on Gruffi's shoulder "It's hard. And not just on me. Yer not foolin' me now and ya didn't fool me then either, Gruffi Gummi. When Cubbi went to go with Chummi, you broke down. You'll lie about it until you're blue in the face but ya did." She smiled sadly, "I'm not saying we should stop him. I…I'm just sayin' it hurts."

Gruffi turned from her again, speeding up, "We're gonna lose track of them in this huge place…" He darted outside of the room, turning to the left, the last direction they seemed to be headed. "You comin'?"

Cubbi stood nervously in front of Plucki. The visit with Sarrika had been quick and painless, just like Plucki had promised. Though, they seemed to have lost Gruffi and Grammi along the way. Not one to want to waste time when he was so close to achieving what he had always dreamed of, Cubbi had been swift to follow Plucki to the council chamber, where the final step…the vow…was to be done. If he knew Gruffi and Grammi, they would find their way in. Plucki had sent a few of his knights out to track them down though.

Cubbi didn't completely understand why they were acting so weird. Yes, he would miss them and he knew they'd miss him but come on! This was a dream coming true! Finally.

"Sir Plucki?" one of the councilors asked, "Should we start?"

Plucki eyed the cub in front of him whom was nearly bursting with excitement, "Do you want to start, lad or wait a bit more?"

Cubbi felt conflicted. He wanted to take this vow. He needed to! But..he wanted Gruffi and Grammi here too! What was he supposed to do? He didn't want the Council to be annoyed by having to wait but he didn't want those two to miss this either..

Luckily, just as he was about to reply, the door opened and two of Plucki's knights came in, followed by Gruffi and Grammi. Grammi, as always, was quick to apologize. Cubbi ran over to her, hugged her briefly and then turned to her and Gruffi, saying, "Can I talk to you guys really quick?"

Plucki gave a knowing smile and a nod to the council to give them a moment. Gruffi in particular gave the cub an odd look but that was promptly replaced by pride when the cub spoke,

"Look, I'm gonna miss you guys. A lot. I'm gonna miss the Glen a lot. But…this is important to me. Like…the most important thing I can do. I have to do this. I want to do this." He smiled up at Grammi who already had tears in her eyes, "But it doesn't mean I'm never gonna see you again. Plucki said we get to do visits and I'll do that every chance I get. I wanna be able to show you what I learn, what I can do. I know this isn't gonna be easy but I can do it!" He gave her a tight hug and then turned and after a slight hesitation, he hugged Gruffi too. As always, the gruff gummi paused, stiff a moment before returning the embrace, finally letting a few tears out when the cub said, "I'm gonna make you proud, Gruffi."

"Y-ya already have, kid." He stammered out, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "N-now go on. Go take that vow."

Beaming, Cubbi released him and darted back to Plucki. Grammi wiped her own eyes and took a stance by Gruffi, silent, but with shining eyes. Later, Cubbi would tell them that the vow was much more broken up than they remembered; he had to repeat the pieces that Plucki asked him back, but to the main leaders of Gummi Glen, they heard it as a steady, confident promise of a child they had raised from birth, now taking his first major step towards his desired future, head held high, one hand placed firmly on his heart as a physical badge of his dedication.

"I, Cubbi Koi Gummi, do solemnly swear, on my heart, my life and my honor, to uphold justice, protect the weaker, serve the common good and carry the Gummi Way in all my actions and words. I enter this day September 20th into my preparation for knighthood under the guidance of Captain Sir Plucki Lithium Gummi with full understanding of the trials and triumphs that will be laid in my path. Until I achieve knighthood or my Captain release me, I pledge my vow."

A flash of light from the council granted him the same blue and white uniform he had seen in Plucki's office.

Then, with a smile, Sir Plucki approached him, slid a blue wristband onto his left hand, encoded with a Golden Knight head with a blue and white banner behind it, the symbol of the Captain rank, a sign to all that he had been chosen and accepted by the Captain of Gummadoon as worthy of tutelage. Unable to stand it, the cub squealed and took the Captain in a firm embrace as he said, "I welcome you into training, Squire Cubbi Gummi of Gummadoon."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Precious Things

 **TIME FRAME: Cubbi has been training a little over one year and just had his tenth birthday**

Following the halls of Gummadoon, anyone seeing Cubbi would have asked what horrible event had befallen him. His eyes were downcast, he didn't seem interested in play. If anything, he seemed to have a contrasting mood, being both distracted and focused on something beyond what they could see. It wasn't that Cubbi never thought long and hard on things but they rarely distracted him to the sense that he turned melancholy or lost interest in his hobbies. This night though, with the sun long since set, he wandered about with a face to match a stormy sky. No joy in his face that everyone was so used to seeing.

It was especially odd, considering he had been gone all day on one of his favorite past times.

He had just come from a visit to Cavin. He didn't get to see him very much anymore. With Cavin standing by Calla's side, the twosome ruled Dunwyn together, which unfortunately, meant they had scarce spare time anymore. He had been training barely a year now but Cavin and Calla had been forced to grow up even faster. While Gregor still lived, he could not rule any longer due to an injury he received during the last war. Calla had taken the crown, despite her age, and Cavin's background proved to be of royal blood(which his grandfather had kept underwraps) and the young couple had pledged a marriage vow and Cavin had taken Gregor's place as King. Not long after that, Calla had announced she carried the next heir. It had something to do with marriage, Cubbi was certain but no one had told him how it was connected yet. He did know that with Calla pregnant, Dunwyn was busier than ever!

All the same, young King Cavin had made it a point to save some of his busy schedule for his dearest friend. While they did not run and play games of make believe in the woods anymore, they certainly had their fun adventures. Last time, Cavin had asked Cubbi to come with him on a diplomatic mission to a nearby city. Oh, that had been exciting! The time before that, Cubbi had discussed ways to improve Dunwyn with him and the two of them had brainstormed solutions. The time before that, they had taken a camping trip to the nearby forest to practice tracking and hunting skills. It was always a treat to have some of the busy monarch's time. So the times he did get to see him were always great times.

Usually.

This time, he found himself deeply disturbed upon returning. The entire kingdom of Dunwyn had been solemn and when Cubbi asked Cavin why, the human male had a pale face. Cubbi had seen Cavin in nearly every kind of emotion: happy, sad, frustrated, angry, disappointed, embarrassed and even scared. But this one had been new. It was not just sad, it was…deeper than that. The type of sadness that starts in one's soul and gradually floods the body until it seeps out through the eyes. The kind that makes your soul sick. Cubbi had seen it on gummies once, when they had begun to clear the dead after the Second Gummi-Human War when their alliance with Dunwyn had been sealed. All those lost…all those dead and gone…you never forgot those eyes.

He had seen that same deep hurt in his best friend's eyes.

What Cavin had told him...apparently, there had been a loss in Dunwyn, two children. Young kids, one five, one three. Two boys from a local miller's family. Not one that Cubbi was familiar with but that was a moot point. It was kids, lost. That was all one needed to know to feel the sting of loss and grief. Now, knowing that two kids even younger than him were dead (and he certainly understood THAT concept) that was sad enough but then Cavin had said that they had arrested the children's father for it. Cavin had not given him details but Sir Tuxford and his knights had brought the man in with blood all over him and he flat out stated that the accusation was true.

He...could not wrap his head around that. Adults and especially parents...their job was to protect kids, right? Everyone knew that! What had gone wrong...it made no sense! No sense at all. He looked down as he walked through Gummadoon's halls, weaving his way through the hall of portraits, towards the training ground entrance.

To humans even, as demonstrated by Dunwyn's horrified response, this was unheard of, terrible, and sickening. Cavin had looked deeply disturbed, years older than he was. Cubbi had spied Calla once during his visit and she looked downtrodden, head lowered. The peasants of the kingdom walked around with muttered whispers and crying. Cubbi had spied the local priests of the kingdom engaging in what they called 'flogging for penance' claiming that justice would be served. More than anything though, he spied the parents of children in Dunwyn clutching their loved ones, especially their little ones, close, as if they would vanish.

For gummies, who naturally did not possess the same moral short comings as humans, it was nearly spiritually nauseating. There was simply not another way to describe it. Cubbi didn't think he could think of the words to talk about it even if he tried. He wasn't a parent himself but he didn't have to be to understand that children were a gift. That was something universal with the gummi race. Each cub born, not matter to whom or under what circumstances, was cause of celebration. On the rare instances that children passed away, usually to an epidemic of some sort, entire warrens would crumble in mourning for days!

Cubbi had left early. It was rare he ended a visit early as it was rare for something he was simply told to hit him so deeply. He had not seen the man, had not seen the children and yet he felt so deeply hit that he might as well have been. He had wanted to be a knight to prevent these kind of travesties but among gummies, this was not even a possibility. As far as Cubbi knew, this had never happened among gummies. Humans had a word for it—filicide. No word existed in any gummi language, current or past. You didn't create a word for something that didn't happen.

Yet, even among humans, whom had seen such travesties, it caused a deep depression. The fact that humans, whom many gummies considered to be morally backward in many ways, had taken such an emotional hit from it, said everything.

Having reached his destination, Cubbi reached up and rapped on the door three times. After a moment, he heard an exasperated "Yes, come in."

He paused, briefly but only briefly before pushing the door in. The atmosphere in the room was stressed. Padding in, the pink furred cub could make out his mentor behind his desk, but just barely. He was going over files frantically, marking down here and there every couple of seconds. Plucki, being Captain, always had things he had to do, whether it be training, planning or other stuff that the cub simply didn't understand. It was one downside to being a squire to the Captain. Gum, he was busy...

"Plucki?" He asked finally, standing up on his tiptoes, peering over the large wooden desk.

The Gummadoon Captain looked up, fully tempted to ask Cubbi to give him a few hours or to wait until tomorrow before telling him of his visit to Dunwyn. He had training to oversee, new recruits from other gummi cities to welcome, a knight roster that had to be finished by morning…

Until he saw the boy's face.

The cub was pale under his fur, looked depressed and somehow seemed to look even younger than normal. His ears were dropped, his eyes downcast. Given that Cubbi was usually his little bundle of endless optimism, it struck the Captain as fiercely as if the cub had stumbled in with a bleeding gash on his gut when those broken eyes peered up at him. It wasn't that the Captain didn't see faces like that. He did. But, it was usually the face of a bearess who had lost her child in the midst of war, or the face of a fellow knight who had been forced to kill for the first time or the eyes of a family that he had to relay the message to that their loved one could not come home again. In short, he did not see it on children's face. Especially not this cub's face.

The knight immediately marked his spot on his paperwork and crossed around the desk. Kneeling down, he took the cub's hands, "Cubbi, what's wrong?" He kept his tone even, though he was certain his worry was expressed in his face. There were certain things that one could hide and certain things one could not. In this instance, while he kept calm in tone, his mind was already sorting through dozens of scenerios. What had happened to cause such hurt on such a young boy's face? Especially on one usually so full of life?

"Sorry, Plucki," the cub said softly (another rarity as Plucki sometimes wondered if the boy knew HOW to whisper), "I know you're busy. But...I really need to talk to you. Please?" Cubbi still had problems asking for aid sometimes though he was certainly improving at it. All the same, it was something most of the mentor knights struggled with their trainees. Young boys were creatures of pride after all! Cubbi in particular seemed to always be looking for ways to impress, to show off (in a good way) so to hear him openly admit a need for aid…it was cause for concern.

That was enough for the knight. Taking the boy's hand, he stood up, leaving his office behind. Taking a walk down the hall, he stopped in the main sitting room, called to Sir Blastus who was sending the squires off to bathe, "Blastus, I need a favor."

The jovial knight frowned as he turned, seeing Cubbi's face just as his Captain had. "Mon Capitain?" His own worry was mirrored in his tone but he kept it even keel, as Plucki had.

"Tell the new recruits I'll need to reschedule my meeting with them for tomorrow evening. Ask Ramsei to take over the training exercise for the yellow level tonight. Also…I left the knight rosters in my office. I won't have time to finish them tonight. I need them finished by tomorrow morning but Cubbi needs me right now..." He knew he was asking a lot, especially for someone that already had his hands full but…

"Say non more" Blastus interrupted with a hand on the shoulder, and a smile to the shaky cub. "I'll handle it"

Plucki gave his brother a smile along with a firm clasp on the arm. "Thank you." He turned back to the cub, "Come, lad."

The twosome went up the winding staircase together, venturing into Plucki's chambers. Cubbi climbed into the soft couch Plucki had in his sitting room. Plucki's quarters had a small kitchen, small sitting room and two additional rooms (probably where Aldi's old room used to be) but Cubbi hardly ever spent the time here. He would pass through occasionally or wait by the door if Plucki needed to grab something but overall, he came in these quarters on a rare occasion. Today though, he crawled into the comfy couch as Plucki followed. The fireplace next to the couch hummed lightly with a small flame used to heat the room, it was kept small when Plucki was not present but if it was extinguished entirely it would take forever to chase cold from the room. It was a bit old fashioned (as Gummadoon did have a heating system similar to the Glen's) but Plucki was fond of the sound and smell. It was a comfort, especially when winter brought frigid nights. Plucki tossed another log onto the red coals and nursed the small light into a cheerful blaze within a few minutes

"Now, what's gotten you so upset?" The Captain said gently as he took a seat next to the child. At the cub's surprised look, Plucki smiled "I can see it in your eyes. You usually don't interrupt me when I'm busy and your whole face tells me somethings gotten to you. Something deep. Talk to me."

"I...went to see Cavin today." Cubbi started, looking at his lap, kicking his feet which dangled a bit over the ground. This was a difficult subject to even begin talking about but in pure Cubbi fashion, he opted for the 'just say it' option that seemed to serve him well on most things. "He said they had arrested this guy for killing two kids." Here the cub went quiet. "His own kids, Plucki." Saying it out loud…that seemed to bring the horrible image up again. The idea of a father…his own kids…

Plucki's breath halted. While he had seen horrors in war, indeed, horrors that most would crumble to hear…to hear of the murder of children...at the hands of one that helped bring them into this world…who took a vow to guide and protect them…

"Why did he do that Plucki?" The cub moved to sit on his knees, addressing the knight. His voice heighted as his control over his emotions faltered. "Why? That's his own kids! Wh-why would he do that to his own kids?"

The Captain of Gummadoon was dead silent a long moment. Processing, thinking before replying, gently, "I...don't know, Cubbi."

What he had been expecting, Cubbi wasn't sure but...he had to make sense of this! Plucki knew everything! He…he would know the answer to this too, right? "I...'member when we first met, I said not all humans were bad?" He inquired, grasping the knight by the tunic, "Cavin wouldn't do that, wouldn't even think it! Calla neither or Gregor or-"

"I think, my lad," Plucki finally stated, with a sharp inhale, as he gently grasped the cub's hands in his own, "That most would not. Nearly all in fact would not."

Cubbi bit his lower lip, surprising himself that he felt like...well, like...he wanted...

Well, he moved over and crawled into the surprised knight's lap. As much as Cubbi often wanted to do so, he usually restrained himself. He wanted to be tough, after all, he was a knight in training! And under the Captain of Gummadoon no less! He was tougher than a little kid being frightened. Even if this kind of news made him sick, frightened, sad and all kinds of other emotions that he really didn't even have a vocabulary for. He…should have taken Plucki's answer, nodded and just sat. That's what brave warriors did right? They took stuff…let it roll of their back.

This night though, much as he denied it, he wanted-no, NEEDED, it.

Plucki, while surprised, recovered quickly and pulled the boy tight into his chest, "It's alright, Cubbi." He said softly.

"Why?" Cubbi asked again, his heart hurting. "Why would ANYONE do that? Not even Igthorn hurts kids!" He wound his small hands tight into Plucki's tunic. It was a comfort when the knight's strong arms wrapped firmly about him. It made him feel...safe.

"I don't have an answer for you, Bright Eyes." The knight's tone was gentle, soft and hearing Plucki's personal nickname for him was comforting. As was the knight's gentle stroking of his back.

Cubbi turned his head and laid his temple against the golden furred gummi's chest. "I cannot fathom doing such a thing, even thinking such a thing." Plucki added, still keeping up his gentle rubbing. It seemed to be helping but to be frank, it was comforting to him too. "You cubs... you add so much joy to our lives. So much love." He smiled down at the cub he held close to his chest, moved one hand to cover and shield the boy's head. From what he didn't know but it was suddenly so important. "Someone that can do such a thing...there is something inherently wrong with them. To not appreciate the gift that children are..."

Plucki felt sick. He would give anything to have his Aldi back in his life. He had been blessed to have Cubbi brought into his life. To think of him gone...and that someone would do so deliberately...someone whose very position in life was to protect, to guide, to love that child…

Plucki's grip on the cub tightened.

Cubbi, despite his usual feelings of wanting to appear tough decided that it felt too good and too RIGHT to reject. He embraced it. While he still could not understand this horrific news, he knew he felt safe here.

In fact...

"Plucki?"

"Yes, my boy?" The knight said softly.

Cubbi managed a smile though could not keep the faint color from invading his cheeks. He spoke nonetheless though, "remember when you carried me up to bed a few weeks ago? Before you put me down? Could you do that again?"

A smile of recognition passed over the knight's face. He suspected that despite the boy being half out of it that he would remember some of that. He was relieved to learn that his act had been appreciated. Cubbi put too much stock in looking tough sometimes. It was just as important for a knight to know when to let those emotional walls down. Still holding the cub tight to chest, he stood and started to pace, back and forth, still rubbing gentle circles on the boy's back "Like that, Bright Eyes?"

Cubbi nodded. "Uh huh." He shut his eyes, taking comfort in the steady rhythmic rubbing on his back, of the hardy, strong thump of the knight's heart and of the gentle sway of back and forth. Childish it might be, but the cub decided that for tonight, he did not care. He felt safe here. He felt…completely safe here. There was a hypnotic effect of feeling secure that carried its spell over him and before long, his breathing turned heavy though he kept his hands still tightly balled into the knight's tunic.

Plucki was quiet a long time and continued to pace, even after the cub fell asleep. It had been a long time since he had a chance to do this and honestly, Aldi had been much more of a Mama's boy. While he still loved Plucki, Aldi would always go to his mother for comfort like this, even though Plucki was quite adept at giving it and made sure Aldi knew it was always available. If his wife had been indisposed, then Aldi would come to him but ultimately, the last time he had been able to experience this had been when Aldi was just a little thing. He had forgotten what a wondrous effect it had on the soul.

When his arms grew heavy, (as even a Gummadoon knight had limits) he sat in one of his chairs, gently swaying back and forth with the cub. Cubbi had told Plucki when he first started training that he had not been rocked for "almost three years!" but the knight had quickly learned that such a declaration did not mean the cub did not enjoy it. He found a great comfort in it to himself as well. There was something so peaceful of holding a cub close to your chest as you just gently rocked back and forth, with a warm fire at your side. Just watching Cubbi breath steadily was soothing.

When sleep finally came to claim the knight, he opted not to return the cub to his room, not tonight. He laid the cub on his chest when he turned into his own bed. Laying on his back, he could feel the cub's breathing with each inhale and with each exhale and the peaceful glaze over the boy's face gave him a sense of peace he had not had in years. More than that though, the knight's heart needed to know the cub breathed, that his heart beat. It was silly, he knew but tonight, at least, he wanted to make sure the cub was safe. And as long as his arms were around him, nothing was touching him.

Not while he had breath in his body.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Change

 **TIME FRAME: About a year after the end of Bonds so Cubbi has turned ten and is about 10 and a half.**

It wasn't too unusual to find Cubbi waiting for him in his office, as he was today, but there was a different air about the boy. Truthfully, he'd noticed it yesterday evening but the cub had been fairly normal, very much like his usual self so the Captain had not questioned it. Now, though, it was hard to miss the melancholy and irritable mood that surrounded the cub. It wasn't something that Plucki had to deal with from Cubbi too often. He was usually his bundle of optimism after all! Not this eve, it seemed. He was sitting on the floor, staring at a pad of paper in his lap, pouting, his ears down, arms crossed.

"Well, well, Cubbi, what's gotten your fur so ruffled up, hmm?" Plucki asked simply as he set some papers down on his desk and sat in his chair. Most of the time, he found a nonchalant attitude seemed to really work wonders with this cub. Most of the time, the pink furred child was quick to tell Plucki all his issues and troubles. It was a strong relationship they had created and it just seemed to get stronger by the day. This time though, Cubbi simply handed the pad of paper to his mentor, still pouting and not saying a word. "Oh, are we not talking right now?"

"Hate school. Ivori's being mean." Cubbi's tone was not really agitated though. He sounded more sad than anything.

Raising a brow, Plucki replied, "I doubt that, my lad." he took the pad Cubbi offered though. He found it was a note that Cubbi had failed to turn in the last assignment. Now, this was a surprise. Cubbi normally tried the hardest he could. He was well known to be one of Ivori's best pupils. What had changed? Plucki tried not to make assumptions; it was no secret that schooling could be challenging for Cubbi, even if they had made a lot of strides with it. He cleared his throat, "Cubbi. What's the meaning of this? Why didn't you turn in your work?" He didn't accuse but he had limited information on Ivori's note and Cubbi was NOT helping matters.

"Cause." Came the huffy answer.

Narrowing his eyes, Plucki turned his chair and gently pulled the cub about to look at him, "You know that's not an acceptable answer, young knight." He hated using such an authoritative voice (oddly enough, with Cubbi, he hardly had to) but this situation called for it. He was not one to hand out punishments without investigating a matter fully and given that Cubbi did not deny the accusation, he was becoming limited in his choices. There was a difference between having difficulty and refusing to try at all. The latter just was NOT how Cubbi usually operated. "Now. I want to know what's going on. You can usually tell me anything. Why not this?"

Faced with an accusation that he did not trust his mentor, the wind flew out of Cubbi's sails. "I just...couldn't do it."

Plucki blinked. "You? Are you not the cub the squires AND knights have dubbed 'The Boy Who Never Heard He Couldn't Do Something.'?"

Cubbi shrugged, "Found something."

Sighing, Plucki shook his head, "Cubbi, I need something better than that. I want to help you. If it's something you need help with, then we can work with you. But an outright refusal demands punishment. I don't want to have to do that."

Head down, Cubbi pouted, "She tol' us we had to write about why cubs are important for the future. 'Bout three pages she said would do."

Smiling, Plucki replied, "Well, you've had such an impact on the future, I'm sure that should be easy for you." Perhaps it was the writing aspect of the assignment, though, Cubbi had never hesitated to ask for help from the others before. This kind of assignment, which involved lots of creative thinking, was usually right down Cubbi's alley!

"Uh uh. I don't like cubs no more." He said firmly, still head down.

Now, that he was not expecting. "Cubbi." Plucki tilted the boy's head up, gently, "I've seen you playing with the pages all the time. I see you take time out of your day to help anyone you can, no matter how old. Saw you helping a lady carry her twins the other day." He smiled with pride at the memory. Very few cubs had such a caring heart nor tried to do so much for others. Yet, the way Cubbi was talking made him sound, well, to be frank, like a five year old throwing a tantrum. Plucki had seen Cubbi get frustrated before but never to this extent, where he pouted and fussed and barely tried to make amends. Something else was up. "So...what changed?"

It seemed the poking and prodding had its effect as Cubbi finally deemed it appropriate to say why such an assignment was too hard for him to grasp. And he exploded with emotion, raw emotion, leaping to his feet, "Cause cubs take best friends away!"

Blinking, shocked, Plucki stood up and put his hands on Cubbi's shoulders, "Cubbi..."

"They do!" Cubbi was outright shouting now, enough that Sir Blastus out in the hall, stuck his head in to see if everything was alright. "They're little thieves! I used to be able to go and see Cavin and we'd find stuff to do. Even with him being King and everything! Now...now that he has that...little baby princess...he can't do nothing with me! She stole him away!"

Ah. Now, things seemed to be connecting a bit more. Cavin, whom had been King with young Calla for a little over a year had recently become a father to the heir of the kingdom, a little girl named Cassandra. Cubbi and the other gummies from the Glen had been there when she was born and Cubbi had commented many times on how much she looked like Cavin and how he wondered what she'd be like when she got big. However, that had been about a month ago. Cubbi had been to see Cavin twice since then, on the days he had some time off from training but it seemed those visits had not gone well.

"I see." Plucki gave a simple nod to Blastus that they were fine and the younger knight closed the door. Plucki pulled the young squire into his arms and sat back down in his chair, just holding him a minute, letting the cub vent. Cubbi usually had pretty good control over his emotions but it appeared that jealousy was a new emotion. It made sense, Plucki supposed. Cubbi had grown up being the youngest of his clan. When he had come to train, he was no longer the youngest but he was the only trainee for Plucki, which meant he got Plucki's full attention. Now, with his best friend who could normally make time for him, even if it was a little time, suddenly overwhelmed with fatherhood and kingdom, he was feeling pushed aside. "Talk to me, Cubbi." He said simply. "What happened on your last visit?"

Cubbi felt more than a little foolish but he couldn't help being mad! He'd tried to coach himself into not feeling this way but the emotions did not go away. If anything, they got stronger. He didn't want Cavin to feel bad (as he knew deep down the young man was hardly neglecting him on purpose) so he often just left early, saying that he didn't want to be in the way. He knew that Cavin being king meant they couldn't do all the things they used to but now it seemed they couldn't do ANYTHING they used to! Sighing, he looked up at his mentor, saying, "Well, when I went to see him the first time, he was really busy with Calla and the baby. Seemed like they always had to be doing somethin' with the baby. And when the baby finally fell asleep, Cavin had to do some kind of ruling stuff. I dunno what it was. Something to do with taxes or land or somethin'. I couldn't help with that so I felt like I should just leave and come back later." Cubbi huffed under his breath, "So, I went back two days ago and it seemed like we might finally get some time together! Cavin had put a lotta decisions on hold and even though he hadda help with the baby at first, after about three hours, he said we could hang out." Cubbi lowered his ears.

Plucki stroked the boy's hair, "What happened, Cubbi?"

With a low sigh, Cubbi remarked, "He fell asleep. We were just talkin', trying to make plans for what we wanted to do and he fell asleep. I didn't wanna bug him if he was that tired." Ears drooped, Cubbi groaned, "Man, I must sound really selfish, huh? I get to do my dream and STILL go see my best friend…and I know you don't hafta let me do that, Plucki…and all I can do when he starts his own family is complain. Some friend I am."

With a low chuckle, Plucki stroked the boy's head again, "Oh, I would hardly call you selfish, my boy."

Startled, Cubbi stared at him, "How am I not selfish?"

"Well, for one, you opted to let him sleep." Plucki thumbed the boy's nose, "As a father, I can tell you that he is most grateful for that." He paused a moment then added, "If you were selfish Cubbi, you would have pushed on, pushed what you wanted despite what was going on. You decided to put your own wants on the back burner. That is hardly selfish." He rubbed the boy's shoulder a bit as the cub leaned into his chest. "And if you are worried about your emotions being selfish, they aren't Cubbi. They're normal. You've never felt a surge of jealousy before, have you?"

Frowning, the cub asked, "Is that what this is? Cause I hate it."

Plucki smirked and replied, "I'd imagine that's what it is, yes. You've adjusted to Cavin having a wife but if I recall correctly, Calla was always there before, am I right?"

"Sort of." Cubbi nodded, "I mean, she's around a little more now than she was before but she was always kinda around or involved."

Plucki nodded, "So, aside from Calla, when you and Cavin had time, it was just you two, am I right?"

Cubbi nodded firmly, taking a comfort in the knight's gentle words.

"That can be a hard thing to adjust to, Cubbi, suddenly having a new person spending time with someone that up to now you were used to having to yourself. You have gone through quite a number of changes lately. I know you took a lot of comfort in your visits to Cavin after you started training. Having that suddenly different can be unnerving. Moreso when it involves a little one. Babies take a lot of energy."

Snorting, Cubbi replied, "How can they? All they do is eat, sleep and poop."

Plucki chuckled again, if gently, "I asked myself that many a time raising Aldi, my lad. How could something so small take up so much energy? I'd imagine that shall always be one of Nature's mysteries. But take it from someone that has raised a baby, they do."

Cubbi's ears drooped. "So…I'm never gonna get back those old visits, huh?"

Plucki smiled, a little sadly "The way they were before? No, I don't think you will. Every time we have a change happen in our lives, my boy, it has an effect. If you prefer to think of it this way…Cavin will never have visits like he used to with you either. You are already a different person than you were before you started training, are you not?"

Frowning a little bit, in thought, Cubbi replied, "I guess so."

"Change is scary sometimes Cubbi because we don't like to face an unknown." Plucki tilted the boy's head up as the cub pulled away a bit but did not leave Plucki's lap. "However, change can bring the most glorious things into our lives as well. You may never get back those visits how they once were but you can create new ones. Different from before but good, all the same." He gently jostled the boy's shoulder "And all this time being consumed by the baby will not last forever Cubbi. Now, I don't think he will ever have quite as much time as before but people who care about you, MAKE time for you. Give your friend time. Has he ever let you down before?"

Cubbi did not even have to think on it before he shook his head, "Never ever."

Plucki ruffled the boy's hair, "Then it's safe to say that he won't start now, isn't it?"

Feeling a little reassured, Cubbi nodded. He hated waiting but the idea that this baby-fever would dull over time did give him some relief. He didn't want to let go of the old visits, the way things were but…well, Plucki was right. Things did have to change and sometimes things changed for keeps. Case in point, he could see what the Captain had in mind when he said that he was a different cub than before he came to train. Truthfully, he felt a little silly for…well, having a little tantrum over this, even if his emotions were still intense. Grammi used to say that if you kept emotions bottled up for too long that they would explode. Looks like she was right.

And while he was grateful to have it off his chest, it didn't eliminate the reason that started this whole spell of emotion. Biting his lip, Cubbi addressed his Captain, "So…about my essay…"

Plucki raised a brow at him. "What did Lady Ivori tell you about that?" He inquired simply. He was pleased that Cubbi had not just forgotten about the schooling issue. Not that his emotions were not more important. They most certainly were! But one of the lessons that one had to endure and learn as a potential knight was that while emotions should most certainly be expressed and dealt with, that did not mean that one's duties were put on the back burner. When his wife and child were lost, as much as he had wanted to collapse, he had a war to fight, to prevent other losses. When the battle was done, then there had been time for mourning. It was a hard lesson for some squires so he was pleased Cubbi had recognized it.

"Said I could still turn it in but she'd have to knock points off because it was late." Cubbi shrugged, "Can't blame her I guess."

"Indeed not." Plucki replied, "I appreciate you coming to me with your emotions, Cubbi, even if it took some time but you have to realize that sometimes a delay like this, even if it is for good reasons, has consequences all the same."

Nodding firmly, Cubbi eyed Plucki, "I'll still finish it though. Think you could help me?"

Plucki smiled back and pulled a fresh sheet of paper out, handling his young squire a quill. "Now, that is more like the Cubbi I know."

 _Gummadoon Halls_

Cubbi felt he had really gotten a lot done, and not just in terms of his essay. He'd finished the thing, after a good hour and a half with Plucki's help, and now he headed towards his room, still thinking. While he had come to terms, mostly, with Cavin potentially being indisposed for some time, he didn't want to stop trying to visit when he could. But…wouldn't he just be gettin' in the way? He didn't want to do that but he didn't want to not see him again for months either! It was hard enough seeing him the little bit he did. But…he also didn't want to show up only for Cavin to fall asleep or be too caught up in things…

"Oof!"

Cubbi yelped as he realized he had collided smartly with someone. It knocked him back a bit but it did not appear his opponent had fallen nor had he. Grinning sheepishly, he replied, looking up at the unfortunate person he'd bumped, "Oh, sorry, Corv!"

The elder squire pushed his blond hair out of his face. It was finally growing out some. Being bumped by a younger squire was not the worst thing to ever happen to him, not by a long shot. Still, given that Cubbi was usually so full of energy that a fly could not land without his making note of it, he inquired to the cub's distraction, "What's up, Cubbi?" He cleared his throat, cursing his changing voice. "Not like you to go bumping into people." He chuckled, "Least not when you're just walking at least. If you had come running through here, yellin' about some monstrosity threatening the very heart of gummidon and that it was up to you and only you to vanquish it, that would be one thing…."

Rolling his eyes, Cubbi responded, "I don't do that!"

"…right. It's you AND Toni that must vanquish it."

Cubbi scowled but didn't comment, except to say, again "Sorry, Corvi."

"What's got your attention so focused?" Corvi inquired, falling into step next to the younger boy. "Not like you to be so distracted."

Cubbi sighed, "Just thinking. Cavin's really busy lately with his kid. I wanna go back and visit him but I don't wanna be in the way. And last time, Cavin was too tired to really do much." Cubbi felt the surge of jealousy rise up again but this time, he talked it down, remembering Plucki's talk about Cavin being loyal to him and that just because things had changed, didn't mean that they'd changed for the worst. "So…just been thinkin' about that."

Corvi nodded, "How old's his daughter now?"

Cubbi frowned, "A month. Well, I guess a month and a half now." He eyed Corvi, "Plucki already tol' me that kids that young take a lot of time. I just gotta be patient." He frowned again. He hated waiting. Maybe it was childish, especially considering that he'd be eleven his next birthday but patience had never been his strong point. He would do it though! Cavin would wait for him and so he could do the same for him! Didn't mean it was gonna be fun or anything though. Maybe he could catch Cavin during some downtime. There had to be SOME of those times, right—

"You could do somethin' else too, Cubbi." Corvi suggested, stretching over his head as they walked. Cubbi, his attention caught, set his eyes on the elder boy.

"Really? Like what?"

Corvi smirked, gave him a gentle punch to the shoulder, "Offer to help with the kid."

"Me?!" he protested "I don't know anything about kids, especially babies. Cori's the youngest I've ever dealt with and he can talk and everythin'!"

Corvi paused, knelt down and Cubbi was once again reminded about how much older Corvi acted at times. Truthfully, Sunni and Buddi were both older than Corvi but you would never know it! Sometimes, Cubbi felt like talking to Corvi was like talking to a young adult more than a fellow cub that was only three years older than him! In a way though, he appreciated that. He could talk about things with Corvi that he wouldn't really approach adults on and Corvi would get it…but still have some that 'adulty' wisdom to share. That came in very handy here.

"Cub," Corvi said simply, "NO parent knows what the heck they're doing. I can bet you anything that Cavin and Calla aren't any different. They're learning about their daughter right now. Trust me. Just ask them—how can I help? They'll appreciate it, you'll get time with Cavin and you may find that jealousy not hitting you so hard."

Cubbi was hardly convinced but given that he still wanted to see his friend and was going to be returning for a trip anyway, well, what harm could it do? "Well, okay, Corv but I still think you're nuts."

Corvi smirked, "Trust me."

 _Dunwyn_

Returning to Dunwyn a few weeks later, Cubbi took a deep breath as he approached the nursery of the castle. He had been directed there but he could also hear Cavin and Calla within the door. It had been a few weeks and Cavin had insisted he wasn't mad and that, of course, Cubbi was welcome to come back. While the human ruler had not made any promises, he had told Cubbi that he was "trying" to make it easier for both of them. Even with that reassurance, Cubbi felt his nerves twist a bit when he heard the baby cry a little.

Well, he was a knight in training! And a knight in training stayed loyal to his friends…and he sure as Gum wasn't afraid of no baby!

Pushing the door open, he found Calla pulling some cloths from a drawer and Cavin pacing back and forth with the wailing baby in his arms. She was bigger than last time but it had only been a few weeks! Poor Cavin, he and Calla looked real tired but in pure Cavibn fashion, he turned and grinned at Cubbi.

"Oh, hey, Cubbi. Sorry for the noise. Cassie is not happy right now."

Cubbi resisted the urge to ask if she ever was and if babies ever stopped crying but stopped himself. Remembering both what Plucki and Corvi said, he stepped in, saying, "It's okay…c-can I help?"

Calla turned, surprised and Cavin paused a bit too before breaking out into a grin that Cubbi had not seen in months! "Sure! Think you could hold her for just a second so I can help Calla?"

Though he was suddenly very unsure about this situation, Cubbi nodded just the same. Walking over to sit on one of the rugs, he nodded, "Okay. Uh…how do I do that?"

Kneeling down, Cavin gently pushed his daughter into Cubbi's arms, adjusting his friend's grip to support her head, "Just like that. Just support her head, okay? She can't hold it up on her own yet."

"Sure…" Cubbi glanced down, realizing he had yet to see this baby up close. Looking at her, she had some brown hair that was reminiscent of her father's and her eyes, she had the same bright brown eyes as Cavin. It was weird, staring into them because the baby, unsure of this new person, stared right back. She gurgled a little, reached up with a gummy hand and grasped hold of the fur on his face. Her grip was slimy and to be frank, a little gross, but her face was colored with pure fascination. She stared at Cubbi, felt all over his face, gurgling the entire time.

And she wasn't crying anymore.

Now that her screaming wasn't hurting his ears, Cubbi had to admit, she wasn't THAT bad. It was like seeing Cavin in a baby form but with some Calla mixed in. More than that though, the way she looked at him. It…it really was hard to define actually. Here he was, a stranger and she was completely trusting him. Heck, if he let her go, she couldn't even lift her own head! That kind of responsibility suddenly had a face, a picture. When Cavin and Calla joined him on the floor and commented on how much she must like Cubbi, he felt another strange emotion in his gut.

Pride.

Not the usual kind though. No, this kind was different. Not the same as when he did something or accomplished something. It felt…well, he really didn't know how to define it to be honest. It was a new feeling but warm and oh-so-good. Plus, Cavin was sitting next to him and they were talking, just like they had before. On different things, sure but that connection was still there. It was different but still good. For Cubbi, seeing Cavin's eyes light up when he saw him holding Cassandra, that meant more to him than anything else. This was his friend's daughter. His best friend's daughter, no, his brother's daughter.

So, that meant…

Cubbi turned his eyes back on the little baby who was closing her eyes and nuzzling into his fur. "Well, guess that makes me your Uncle Cubbi then, Cassie!"

It was probably his imagination but he swore he saw the little one nod her approval.


	4. Chapter 4

Young Cubbi raced through Gummadoon's halls, calling a "Sorry!" every so often as he brushed by an unsuspecting gummi who stepped nimbly out of his way. He wasn't trying to be rude but he was excited. He couldn't wait to find Plucki! Normally, his mentor would be waiting when they returned from tutoring but given that he wasn't there today, he was most likely in his office. That trip was a fairly short one but now it seemed to be taking forever-and-a-day! He wanted to find his Captain NOW!

Always an excitable cub, the young pink furred bear had another reason to be full of energy this day. After a few months of trying a new approach to reading and writing, plus several extra hours of help from Plucki, Lady Ivori and occasionally Corvi, he had something to show for it! While his last few papers, short as they were, had been less than stellar, this one…this one that he had worked so hard at for the past few days finally got what Cubbi strived after! Written across the top, in Lady Ivori's neat penmanship, was _"Excellent! This is what I love to see!"_ but more than that, underneath, she'd written: _"Share this with Plucki. He'll love it."_

Cubbi was on his way to do just that! Normally, he dreaded reading in front of others, especially his own writing. Reading and writing had always been a hard spot for him. Plucki was so patient with him, never rushing him and Cubbi was thrilled to be able to show that the Captain's patience had not been for nothing. While his reading had improved a lot, writing could still be difficult. No wonder! Hard enough to read words written by someone else, let alone coming up with them on your own!

But he'd done it!

This most recent assignment had been a poetry one, something that most of the boys hated (well, except Martinni). When Toni had questioned why they had to write such "sissy" stuff, she had replied simply that knowing how to communicate in all different kinds of prose was important. As a knight, they would be expected to be formal, to be polite and in some cases, they would need to write formal requests to other cities and knights. Those required a lot of different word and sentence structure and poetry was a great way to improve those skills.

That was one thing Cubbi liked about Lady Ivori. If you asked her a question about why they had to learn something, she was usually pretty good about giving you an answer. In this case, even Toni had to admit that her reasoning made sense, though when she added that it had to be done in "first person" point of view, Toni had let out another groan. Lady Ivori, well used to Toni's antics, had simply chuckled and said, "Were you planning on sending requests to a city acting like you were some kind of stranger? Do you write letters to people without using your viewpoint?"

Cubbi didn't really get Toni's reaction but then their tutor threw another task out there. She wanted them to write in first person but try to imagine themselves as a different person. She said it would help them to understand someone else's viewpoint. Before Toni could even mutter a protest, Lady Ivori had added, "When sending formal requests to cities and knights, a knight must try and see their recipient's point of view and situation as well as themselves. Pick someone you know, Toni. It'll make it easier."

Thus, they had returned with their assignment. The length was not actually that long. Only about a page. For once, Cubbi had gone a little bit more with his, though he supposed that might have been due to his wide handwriting. He tended to have larger letters than most. He'd compared it to the pages' once and been a bit distressed that his letters resembled their writing more than his fellow squires but as always, Sir Plucki was quick to reassure him that writing, like all other things, improved with time and practice.

He'd spent quite a while on this poem. The other squires seemed to finish theirs the day they brought the assignment home (Martinni was quick to dismiss the project as easy, stating he finished in under an hour) but given the three day window they had, Cubbi wanted it to be well done. Plucki was fond of reminding him that it was better to take longer and make sure your piece was well done than to rush and have to redo it. So, Cubbi had taken him at his word and taken two days to complete his, with minimal help. While he had learned the importance of asking for help, it still made him feel so GOOD to be able to claim he had done something without it.

He had asked Corvi for some help but only a little, namely with some of the words. While Lady Ivori had not said the poem had to rhyme, what poem DIDN'T rhyme? Cubbi didn't understand that concept. If it didn't rhyme, it was just weirdly written short phrases. Martinni had rolled his eyes when he'd stated such a thing, remarking "You don't understand much about school-stuff do you?" It had initially been hurtful, but Cubbi had learned that he and Martin did not exactly see eye-to-eye on scholarly pursuits. Martinni had not meant anything bad by it but all the same, Cubbi found it best not to talk about school with him. He'd ignored Martinni's remark, withdrawn from the sitting room and gone to his room to finish his work.

Corvi was much more understanding. When Cubbi had said he wanted some help coming up with rhyming words for his poem, Corvi had helped him brainstorm. It woulda been so useful to just have a list of words but that wasn't an option for him, so he utilized his next best thing—Corvi Gummi. Corvi spoke so many languages and read so many books (the one he was reading now was at least five hundred pages!) that he had to have some kind of massive cluster of information in his head. Aside from that though, what Cubbi loved the most about Corvi was that the teen never tried to do things for him. He would help where Cubbi asked but never did it FOR him. So, when Cubbi had asked him for some words that rhymed for his writing assignment, Corvi had brainstormed with him but not for him.

It had paid off! Oh, how it had paid off! Maybe it was a wee bit silly to be so excited over a simple little paper but darn it, he tried so hard at tutoring and he never had never achieved an "excellent" in writing or reading before! He could be a little "weird" about it, right?

Finally reaching the door to his mentor's office, Cubbi turned the knob and barged in "Plucki! Plucki!"

To freeze in his tracks when he saw his mentor sitting with another knight at the table. Some new knight he'd never seen before. Brown fur and darker brown hair, wearing a different uniform. Looked like some of the symbols he'd seen around the New Gumbrea gummies. Well…yeah, that made sense, they had knights in New Gumbrea right? Some of them surely returned with the group and…oh.

Realizing all too late that his mentor had mentioned earlier that he would be seeing some new recruits, some transfers from other cities, Cubbi backed up. "Oh…sorry, Sir Plucki. I forgot."

The knight meeting with his Captain simply gave the boy a smile, "Energetic, aren't you, kiddo?" He turned to Sir Plucki, "Is this your rascal that you're training?'

Chuckling a little himself, Plucki waved the okay to Cubbi to come in a little further. "Yes, this is my Cubbi."

Beaming with pride as he always did when Plucki used the possessive with his name, Cubbi approached the new knight, extending his hand, "Hiya. I'm Cubbi."

Hardly the most formal but it was a kind greeting nonetheless and the knight took the boy's hand in a firm handshake, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Squire Cubbi. I'm Sir Silvi." Now that Cubbi could see him closer, the gummi had a full beard and not like Plucki had. This beard covered his whole face and made him look a little like a bush. Being polite though, Cubbi reframed from saying anything, though he must have been staring, because Silvi chuckled, "Never seen a full bearded gummi before, rascal?"

Blushing a bit at his faux pas, Cubbi shook his head, "Nu uh. Sorry, Sir Silvi. Didn't mean to stare. Are you from New Gumbrea?"

"Aye, that I am, bright lad. With so many of us returning, we're spreading out to a few different cities. You'll see me and some of my comrades joining your ranks here in Gummadoon and a lot of my other friends went to aid in Ursalia." The kind knight gave the boy a wink. "Gummadoon's well known for its strong knights. And its knights-to-be as well. It's nice to see the rumors hold true."

Beaming widely again, Cubbi turned to his Captain, "Sorry, Sir Plucki. I forgot you said you'd be meetin' with knights. I'll go wait…"

Plucki shook his head, "It's alright Cubbi. Silvi and I were just about finished. Just have a seat for a moment and I'll be right with you, okay?" He gestured to one of the chairs to the side of his office and Cubbi rushed to do as he was told, clambering into the large chair, hugging his paper to his chest. He listened half-heartedly to the two adults finishing some kind of agreement. Lots of big words and signing and stuff. Similar to when he was entered into training but apparently, it was different when you were transferring cities. Plucki asked more questions about experience and such.

All Cubbi knew was that this was taking FOR-e-VER!

After what seemed hours (though only 15 minutes in truth), Plucki led Sir Silvi to the door and out. They were gone about seven minutes or so when Plucki finally returned and shut the door. Cubbi leapt out of the chair right away, "Sorry, Sir Plucki," he apologized again. "I just forgot you said that you'd have other gummies here meeting and I wanted to tell you what happened at tutoring! It was great!"

Letting out a deep hearted laugh, Plucki approached his squire and ruffled his hair, "No harm done, my boy. You were quite polite in fixing your error and that makes for good relations later." Kneeling to the boy's level, he gave him a wide grin, "Now, what is this I hear about something good happening in tutoring? That's not something I usually hear…and combined with 'great' you say?"

Nodding energetically, the cub was practically jumping up and down, "Yep, yep." Without waiting another moment, he thrust his paper in Plucki's direction, saying, "See?"

The knight took the paper gently and read Ivori's note silently, before saying, "Excellent?" Reaching out, he pulled the cub into a tight embrace, "That's my boy! See? That hard work is paying off for you, isn't it?"

Beaming from ear to ear, Cubbi nodded again, taking his paper back, "Yep and did you see what else she wrote Plucki?"

Looking over the cub's shoulder as he pointed, the knight inquired, "Oh? What's it say, Cubbi?" He could, naturally, read it just fine but anything that got his squire to practice reading and writing, he embraced whole-heartedly. Cubbi was a smart lad, he just struggled with his reading. They were making vast improvements though. Plucki saw it every day and each night, the two of them would read a storybook or short chapter in a book together, with Plucki reading one page and Cubbi the other. Sometimes, Cubbi came home in near tears from frustration so seeing him so enthusiastic about writing was a grand event!

Cubbi set his eyes on the paper and repeated Ivori's words "Share this with Plucki. He'll love it." So hyped over such a compliment, plus his favorite knight's gentle praise, Cubbi asked, trying to sound more calm than he felt, "Can I read my poem to you, Plucki?"

Giving his squire a paternal smile, he responded, "I would love to hear it, Cubbi." The knight stood and pulled his chair out from behind his desk, giving the cub his undivided attention, resting his hands on his knees. Cubbi practically rocked in place. Normally reading out loud made him extremely nervous but knowing that not only had he written this piece himself but that he had earned the coveted mark of "excellent" from his tutor made him more excited than anxious. He hoped that Plucki would think the same.

"We were 'posed to write a poem from someone else's view." The cub felt inclined to explain. "So I picked you."

Blinking in surprise, Plucki chuckled, "Oh, you selected boring ol' Plucki, did you?" That didn't really surprise him. Sometimes, it seemed like his squire thought he hung the moon and picked out the stars.

Shaking his head, Cubbi replied. "You're not boring." That was the truth. Cubbi honestly had debated whose point of view to use for a good hour before selecting on his mentor. Ivori had said they could be funny, serious, or anything in between. Cubbi found that sometimes it was hard to try and picture what his mentor went through but there was certainly one phrase that Plucki was fond of repeating and actually, Cubbi remembered Grammi and Gruffi saying something similar when he lived at the Glen. It seemed a good place to start. "I hope I got you right."

"I'd say you know me pretty well, my boy." Plucki reassured him, "Now, let me hear this 'excellent' piece! You have me interested and you're keeping me in anticipation!"

Grinning again, Cubbi settled his eyes on his paper, getting his breath before beginning to read:

 **A knight is meant to serve**

 **So he has many things to do.**

 **Protect, shield and victory!**

 **But acts of caring too!**

 **I've fought many battles long**

 **I've fought many wars**

 **Protecting maids and children**

 **Are among my many chores**

 **Fear is not a choice**

 **It holds no grip on me.**

 **Dragons, wizards, giants**

 **I've fought them all, you see!**

 **A knight is also teacher.**

 **I train future ones, you see**

 **I raise them up to be**

 **All that they can be.**

 **But one thing that stops my breath**

 **And makes my heart beat miss.**

 **Is when from down these long and winding halls**

 **I hear a boy cry, "Watch this!"**

For a moment, Cubbi stared at his mentor, hoping to get a good reaction, hoping he had done right by the knight, hoping he had not messed up in representing the most wonderful gummi that he had all manner of respect for. He had truly done his best on this poem, pouring his heart and soul into it, hoped that what he interpreted was right, was just and—

Plucki's deep, hearty laughs echoed through the entire room and Cubbi beamed at it. Yes, yes, laughing was good! That meant he had done something right! Yes!

For at least a good three minutes, the Captain of Gummadoon was nearly doubled over in guffaws before reaching over and pulling the boy into his arms for a tight embrace. As Cubbi stared, he noticed small tears in the knight's eyes. Tears? Had he gotten something wrong? But…wait, Plucki was laughing, which meant he was happy and…

Gum, he really wished adults wouldn't cry when they were happy, it was really confusing!

"Cubbi, oh Gum, did you nail me spot on!" Plucki admitted out loud. "I'd say you've learned your Captain well!" Plucki had been smiling through Cubbi's entire speech but had utterly lost it at the last line. He had lost track of the number of times he had raced down the hall upon hearing a "watch this" or a "I dare you" or a "betcha can't," attempting to prevent disaster. It truly was something that could stop his heart in an instant whereas a dragon was hardly worth breaking a sweat over in comparison.

"Really?" The cub's smile could have outshone the sun. "You like it then?"

Giving the boy a delicate smile and a faint tickle under the chin that made the cub squeal, the Captain pointed to an empty spot above his desk, "I think it would look excellent right there, in a nice frame."

Eyes nearly popping out of his head, Cubbi gaped, "Y..you want hang it up in here?"

"Of course! It's a piece to be admired. That is, if the author will allow me too." The knight smiled, "Do I have that permission?"

"…sure!"

The knight passed the cub a quill "Well, all authors must sign their work, my boy."

Cubbi took the offered instrument and quickly added his name at the bottom. And you know what? His writing didn't smudge an inch that time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Sweet Irony

 **TIME FRAME: Cubbi is a few months short of 11.**

"Not like you to be running late." Gumlittle remarked simply as his Captain rushed from his office. The golden furred gummi gave a friendly smirk in response, handing his brother gummi some papers to carry. He had quite a stack so he was glad to divide the load. Being Captain, he always had things to oversee and take care of, in addition to keeping an eye on and training a rambunctious eleven year old, or an almost-eleven year old. Ever since they had returned from their trip to Germany a few months ago however, Cubbi had been doing his best to listen better. Plucki was sure to comment to the boy on it regularly. Good behavior was to be praised after all!

"Well, we have a lot we have to cover, don't we?" Plucki responded simply. "I had most of it done before their arrival but there seems to always be one or two things that sneak up unexpected."

Gumlittle gave an affirmative gesture, stating, "Don't believe we'll be too tardy, my brother. The Knights of Gumshire are still adjusting to our city somewhat. If I recall, they requested the meeting be after lunch so they could become a bit more acquainted with the layout."

The knights of Gumshire were a second group of knights that Gummadoon had welcomed as of late. With the Great Gummies returned from over the sea and alliance with Dunwyn strong, more and more cities felt safe enough to stabilize. Their first interaction with the German city of Bär had not gone precisely as planned (due to a small adventure on the part of mischievous squires) but there had still been a strong friendship built. While plans were still underway for their German allies to visit Gummadoon, they had begun many interactions with returning knights to the city of Ursalia and helped to rebuild the lost gummi city of Bera. They had met briefly with the small group of knights that had arrived ot defend Bera; it had been short but pleasant. Any new meetings with fellow knights were welcomed! Before the war, they would meet with fellow warriors on a routine basis. It was deeply missed.

The city of Gumshire had popped up within the last year, consisting of many individuals from New Gumbrea but also some few survivors from the fallen city of Berryborne! What a shock but a joyous revelation that had been! After some time settling in and establishign food an water sources, Gumshire was thriving! Without the threat of survival, they were open to communicate with other gummi citie and Gummadoon was top on their list! While not quite as far away as some other cities, Gumshire was still a good day's journey. After some conversing with messages and letters, a collection of Gumshire's knights had agreed to come to Gummadoon for a more personal interaction.

Their visitors had arrived early that morning, far before any of the squires were up and indeed, before the sun itself had risen entirely. The group of seven knights had traveled throughout the night and arrived with the dawn, understandably tired and worn. Despite this, their Captain, a Sir Jamai, had insisted that they start their meeting as soon as possible, once he and his team had some time to rest and fuel themselves. As such, a meeting time had been set for after lunch, around two in the afternoon.

Currently, at about fifteen minutes until the conference was to begin, Sirs Plucki and Gumlittle were rushing for the meeting hall, discussing the important information to be addressed, what should take precidence and the like. As they rounded the hall, they nearly collided with their two squires, Cubbi and Toni, both whom rushed them with large hugs. Not about to turn down the affection, the two adults returned the gesture but quickly continued walking, their two squires quickly fell into step behind them. They felt a bit bad about their rushed state, especially since they had been quite busy the last few days with preparation. It happened occasionally but they had barely had time for the boys these last few days, outside of training and the traditional tuck-in times. THAT was something neither knight ever missed. All the same though, not having time to tutor their squires, let alone spend one on one time with them, was distressing. Being knights, it DID happen and the boys expected it but that did not mean the parties involved enjoyed it! If the strength in the boys' grip was any indication, their presence was missed sorely and it tugged at their cores with guilt.

Well, not to be done about it now. Sometimes, duty called one away from what was dear to them. The best course of action was to fulfill your duties with fervor so that missed opportunities could be amended.

"Are you meeting those new knights now?" Toni. The white haired boy was walking backward next to Gumlittle, his eyes always on the big knight's.

Chuckling, lightly, Sir Gumlittle replied gently with a slight ruffle of the cub's hair, "Yes, Plucki and I are meeting with Sir Jamai and his group in a few minutes."

Cubbi, trotting along side his mentor, chattering a mile a minute, asked, excitement in his eyes, "Can we come too?"

Toni beamed, "Yeah, we won't be loud or nothing. We'll sit and be quiet. We're getting better at that!"

"Can we come, please, please?" Cubbi was practically jumping up and down. He and Toni had messed up, big time, during their Germany trip and the two of them had been trying to prove themselves capable ever since. While their mentors had assured them that their punishment had paid their debt (and oh, boy would Cubbi remember THAT punishment for a while) and that the boys' willingness to correct their error had shown them the boys were learning, the twosome still wanted to show they could be mature and participate. Plus, they missed the knights!

Smiling gently at the boys' enthusiasm, Sir Plucki replied softly, "Not this time, lads. We have some things we have to discuss and once we've gotten the basic communication we need down, we'll be glad to invite you boys in. They'll be here for a few days. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting with you tomorrow."

Despite his reassurances, the boys' faces just sank. Gumlittle gave a gentle smile to the two and thumbed his squire's nose. "I know you're disappointed Sport but you'll have a chance to meet them, I promise. Plucki and I have a lot of political stuff to discuss with them for this meeting. I know you two want to be involved but this is one meeting that we can't invite you in on."

Stopping by the meeting chamber doors, Sir Plucki knelt to look at his own trainee, giving a strong squeeze to the boy's shoulder. "One thing you'll find as you grow boys is that even in adulthood, you're not invited into every meeting. Sometimes you have to find out from your comrades. That's what your role has to be this time, alright?"

Letting out a deep sigh, the looks on Cubbi and Toni's faces just screamed frustration and aggravation but to their credit, the twosome withdrew from their mentors, saying, "We understand."

With a reassuring nod and smile, Plucki commended, "Good, lads. We'll find you once the meeting is done and catch you up, alright?"

The two boys nodded as the doors opened briefly, their mentors vanished inside and then the doors clanged shut.

Pink face met blue face with deep exhales of breath. It wasn't just the fact that they were left out of the meeting. It was…well, they wanted to spend some time with their mentors! When the news of the new knights coming had reached their ears at the beginning of the week, it had also spelled the lack of presence from their mentors. With Plucki being Captain and Gumlittle being second, they were busy with the council, making preparation, drafting conversation points and Gum knew what else. All the two of them knew was that they had seen very little of their favorite knights the past few days. An invitation into the meeting would have been a two for two—time with their mentors AND proving their worth.

Toni groaned as the two of them walked off, "This sucks."

Cubbi shrugged. "Yeah but…well, I mean, Plucki's right. The other knights aren't in every meeting. We…shouldn't expect that either."

The blue furred cub frowned but didn't argue. "I didn't mean that. You know how long first-meetings usually take? We'll be lucky if they come out for dinner. You and I'll probably see them again long enough for them to tell us to take a bath and go to bed. Again." Stupid as it may have been, Toni didn't like not having time with his mentor. He understood Gumlittle got busy and heck, he even understood WHY the knight had to be away so much right now but darn it, he missed him. He knew for a fact that Cubbi missed Plucki. Poor Cub probably had it worse because his mentor was Captain. But Plucki was usually really good about time management and putting Cubbi first. They had grown used to the personal time with their mentors but when these new knights and cities started popping up, they were busy a lot more. Martinni had mentioned he missed Gumlittle too but everyone in Gummadoon knew that the three squires most attached to their mentors were Toni, Cubbi and Corvi. Corvi's mentor was spending time with him right now. Their mentors didn't have that option…

That was one main reason they wanted to go into the meeting. If they were involved, then they could participate with their favorite knights more, even if duties took a lot of their time. They could be a part of the planning! They could help!

Cubbi eyed his friend, downtrodden. It probably was a little babyish but he really missed his time with Plucki these last few days. Granted, he knew the knight would have times where he was unavailable (being a Captain plus a mentor was not easy work!) but it was different actually having it happen. Ever since he had started training, the most Plucki had been too busy to talk, to play, to just…be…had been a day. Now, this was the fourth day. The days when they had tutoring wasn't so bad but…on days like today, when they had no tutoring in the morning and were supposed to have knight classes, that was when he missed him the most. Other knights, like Sir Blastus, Sir Ramsei, Sir Ecri, Sir Horli and such had been filling in with the classes but it wasn't the same. Their physical training was shorter too. When their mentors were around, they could sometimes go for hours on the training field, depending on what Gumlittle or Plucki felt like delving into that day, and their energy level. But with them preoccupied, Sir Blastus and Sir Ramsei had to pick up the slack and there just was only so much you could do with only two teachers. Training the squires and pages wasn't something just any knight could do. The other boys were disappointed too but at least Flynn and Corvi still had their mentor. Martinni had his sister he could always go visit, she didn't live more than a ten minute walk. Plucki and Gumlittle weren't just their mentors; they were also their sole parental figures.

That and at night…he really missed Plucki at night. Much as he hated reading, he missed their time to go over a storybook together. He missed their simple talks. Lately, with him so busy, while he would come in to tuck him in and say good night, they had not had their time to read and discuss as they usually did. He missed it.

So, all in all, while the presence of other gummi knights was exciting, it was also, rapidly, killing the boys' week. Much as they wanted to meet their new allies, they also very much wanted them to go home so things could go back to normal. So, they could go to tutoring, so they could get their full lessons, so they could get that wonderful time with their mentors. They had things about tutoring they wanted to ask, they had things for training they wanted to try. Heck, if they could get an hour of uninterrupted time before they went to bed, that would be great.

The two disappointed boys silently padded through the halls for a long time. Not really talking, but sulking. Immature perhaps but this was day four. While they had learned that their mentors would have time away, that didn't mean they liked it. They could say over and over that they understood why it had to happen but that didn't make it easy nor did it still their emotions. After a good half hour of walking, the two opted to retreat to Cubbi's room. Flopping on the ground, the boys tried to amuse themselves with some of the cub's toys. Normally, the games and playsets of knights and dragons would have kept them entertained for hours. This day though, their imaginary games were lacking.

Leaving the figures on the ground, the boys went to the pink cub's collection of balls and sling shots. With Toni perched on the windowsill, Cubbi tossed one of the smaller balls at him from his position lounging on the bed. They continued this for a bit, with Cubbi throwing two balls at once on occasion. Tossing Toni a sling shot from his toy chest, Cubbi tossed a few more balls into the air, with Toni firing a smaller ball, trying to knock them aside. He hit a lot of them, making them knock against the wall or the bed.

"What do you and Gumlittle do, Toni?" Cubbi asked absentmindedly.

Toni blinked at the question but still hit his target, "Lots of stuff. Sometimes, we'll go for a ride on his unicorn. Or we'll wrestle. That's fun."

Cubbi nodded, "Sometimes Plucki'll wrestle too. Or he'll tell me stories. Does Gumlittle play Knights or Ogres or War and stuff with you?" That was probably Cubbi's favorite game. "Or hide and seek? Last week, Plucki and I had to "track" one another through the whole palace. Took us almost until dinner!"

Nodding, Toni added, "Who won?"

Cubbi scoffed with a faint laugh, "Plucki of course."

Toni smirked, "I love it when they don't let us win. You know, sometimes I managed to outdo Gumlittle though. It's fun. He'll help me set up this fort with sheets and tables and stuff." Toni pouted, folding his arms. "Or outside in the trees. That's a lot of fun too."

Cubbi eyed his friend, "It's not dark yet. We could still go climb trees or somethin'."

Toni shrugged. "Naw."

The two boys fell silent again. Cubbi laid on his back. This was ridiculous! He had lots of cubs his own age, he had Toni who was like his equal in the mischief department and yet here they sat, bored out of their minds. Nothing sounded like fun. Yet, Cubbi was fairly certain if Gumlittle and Plucki had walked in and offered the same thing he had just mentioned, both he and Toni would have jumped at it. Cubbi had felt this kind of emotion before, at the Glen. When you just wanted the adults to do something with you. Didn't matter what just so long as you got to do it with them. He remembered just sitting and watching Gruffi work in his workshop and loving that. Here, sometimes, he would perch himself at Plucki's feet when he finished up the knight roster or wrote out plans. You wouldn't think a kid with so much energy would like that but…well, it was just BEING with someone you cared about. He thought he was getting too big to have that longing but apparently not. Maybe tomorrow…please….

"Well, Plucki's been doing a lot of preparin' for this. Seems like that's ALL he's been doing. Gumlittle?" Cubbi tried to be logical to get rid of this feeling. After all, they couldn't do anything about it so what would be the point of being bored. If they could talk themselves out of this funk, maybe they could find something to do and hopefully tomorrow, they would be able to meet these knights or at the very least, their mentors might be available to have a little fun! He could be optimistic at least!

Toni nodded, "Same. I dunno why adults take so much time to prepare for a meeting. You get a bunch of people in the same place and you talk, pretty freakin' simple."

Cubbi had a feeling it was not as simple as that. He knew Plucki had been studying a lot of things about these new cities and discussing things with all kinds of gummies: architects, wizards, councilmembers, the whole gambit. "Eh, must be something we're missing. Being in charge must stink sometimes." He had seen that first hand. Gruffi's disposition always seemed to get nasty when things became stressed, when new things came up, when new people showed up. He didn't understand why but there must have been more to being in charge than they saw.

The two boys sat still, just occasionally kicking their legs back and forth, quiet a bit more until Cubbi eyed Toni, energy lighting up his face. "Hey Toni, does Gumlittle like surprises?"

Blinking in surprise himself, the blue cub nodded "Yeah, at least most surprises. Why?"

"Well, we've been griping about how they've been so busy but how do you think THEY feel? I bet they're sick of it too!" Cubbi had no doubt on that piece. Much as adults tried to play off responsibilities as "not that bad" but even the most gung-ho adult got tired of them. Besides, Plucki had told him more than once that he would much rather spend time with Cubbi than in diplomacy talks.

Toni frowned, considering this. True, Gumlittle didn't really seem thrilled with all these politics. Every time he had to tell Toni they were out of time for something, it was accompanied by "I'm sorry, Sport. I'll make it up to you." Gumlittle certainly SEEMED to like the fun stuff a lot more. "Probably. Gummie told me that politics are the bane of adulthood…whatever that means."

"So…" Cubbi beamed, "Why don't we have something FUN for them when they come out of that boring song and dance?"

Toni considered this thought and grinned, "Like…hmmm…like a meal?"

"Sure! Last thing ANY adult wants to do when they're tired is cook. We can make them their favorites!" Excitement built up in the pink furred cub's heart again. "They'll LOVE it."

Enthusiasm restored, the group of two hurried to the kitchen.

 _Gummadoon Kitchen_

The boys found the kitchen busy, as usual but not as jumping as it usually was. Made sense, they knew that the chefs had been cooking throughout the whole day instead of doing it for a few hours ahead of time. Walking in, they saw one of the key cooks, a rather pump violet gummi named Gumbi. He was one of their key chefs and easily one of the kindest, if a little young. Most of the time, if you wanted some extra desserts, he was the one to go to. He could most certainly be sweet-talked!

"Hi Gumbi!" Toni greeted the older gummi with a wave, "Whatcha cooking?"

The purple chef gave a laugh, "Well met, young Toni, young Cubbi." He gave a nod to each of them as he took some fresh baked bread out of the oven. Setting it on the counter, he gave the young cubs a wink at their comedic sniffing of the air before cutting a small piece from the loaf and tearing it in half, handing one piece to each of them. The squires gave a grin in response and their thanks was communicated by shoving the warm loaf into their mouth. Fresh baked bread was the best! "In answer to your inquiry, young squire, some bread to prepare with the soup for our guests and knights."

Gumbi blinked in surprise when his younger visitors had a complete drop in facial expression, "Is…something wrong, boys? You'll still get your dinners on time. We've already seen to that."

Cubbi shook his head, "Not that Gumbi. We haven't seen Plucki or Gumlittle a lot lately—"

Gumbi smiled with sympathy, "Ah, and you hoped they might leave the meeting for a meal with you?" He went back to his cutting but did continue, "I'm afraid not tonight, young ones. I suspect you shall see your mentors briefly when they emerge before your beds call you."

Toni elbowed Cubbi in the ribs, "Tol' ya."

Pouting, Cubbi glared at Toni but the blue cub was speaking out again before he could make a comeback, "Well…we were kinda…hoping we could make something for our mentors. Something they'd like to eat. But, you said you're already making dinner for them." He scowled, "They pee in that room too?"

Gumbi turned, stopping his cutting but did not address Toni's rather crude comment, "Ah. I see. Well, unfortunately, boys, first meetings with new cities often drag on. They requested a simple meal so that their talks would not be interrupted."

The two boys nodded, feeling more than a little defeated until Gumbi snapped his fingers, "BUT…they did not request a dessert, boys." He smirked, "I'm sure you could arrange that for them, don't you think?"

Both cubs stared at Gumbi for a long moment, "A dessert…as late as they're coming out?"

The cook laughed out loud, "Oh, my boys, when the knights need to finish paperwork and planning, which I can guarantee you that they will need to do once this initial conference is over, they always request the same thing—sugar and tea."

The twosome exchanged glances, "Gumlittle like chocolate?"

"Who doesn't?"

Gumbi gave a laugh, saying, "Well, my future cooks, you are welcome to look through my books over there," he pointed, allowing a grin to grace his face at the joy that lit up in those pairs of eyes, "To find a suitable treat. Dinner for you boys will be ready soon. Once that is cleaned up, I will be glad to surrender my kitchen to you before I go home to my wife." Satisfied, he turned back to preparing some bowls and plates.

Cubbi and Toni froze in mid-celebration. "Oh…you're not staying late?" Cubbi inquired. Usually, you could always find Gumbi in the kitchen.

"Not tonight, lads. My wife is expecting me. I'll be happy to leave all the cabinets available for you." His offer was given with a regretful face.

Toni scoffed, "Lot of good that'll do us. We hafta have an adult here if we're cookin.' Gumlittle's real freakin' clear on that." Great. They wanted to do a surprise for their work-drowned mentors and even THAT was barred! Now, one might think that in this case, the boys would continue with their plan, regardless, but…well, they had learned the hard way that many rules were there for a reason. Last time they had purposely disobeyed, they had wound up cold, hurting, hungry, scared…and feeling utterly disgusted with themselves. So far, since the return from Germany, they were doing well at listening. Now, when they wanted to do something special, they didn't have a means to.

Yes, this week was horrible!

Gumbi frowned, feeling sympathy for the young boys but he had an obligation to his wife. Under other circumstances, he would have stayed but tonight, especially with a lot of work tomorrow, he could not. Truthfully, the young boys probably were not supposed to stay up as late as they were planning but for such a sweet gesture, he supposed it was passable. Seeing their crushed faces was heart wrenching. Thinking a long moment, he rubbed his chin then stated, "Hold that thought, my boys."

Slipping from the kitchen, he disappeared into the hall. It didn't take him long to spy who he was looking for. There were always knights rushing to and fro but this one in particular always wanted to help out, especially with cubs. Being a young knight, barely in his early twenties, there was not much one could request of him that he would deny. The yellow furred gummi seemed to always be in two places at once, darting here and there, helping first one and then another. It was admirable and if Gumbi's memory served him well, Quimbi had completed his knight tasks for the day.

"Sir Quimbi!"

The young green ranked knight turned from his conversation with his fellow Sir Burgundi, biding him farewell as he trotted over, enthusiastic as ever, "How can I help you, Gumbi?"

The cook chuckled at the knight's usual jovial attitude. "Sorry to interrupt you, good knight." He started, "I need to leave after the young ones are given dinner." He led the knight into the kitchen and gestured to the pink and blue cubs, "But I have two caring squires here who desire to please their teachers but require some adult eyes to do so."

Quimbi laughed out loud, kneeling to one knee. He remembered all too well greeting the optimistic Cubbi on his first day and everyone knew Toni! "Hey Cub," he teased Cubbi, and then poked Toni in the gut "What are you troublemakers up to?"

Snarling indignantly, Toni responded, arms folded, "We're not gettin' in trouble. We're trying to stay OUTTA trouble!"

"That's a first," Quimbi teased gently but ruffled the cub's white hair to let him know he was kidding. "What do ya need me for?"

"We wanna make something for Gumlittle and Plucki," Cubbi continued. "They're so busy lately….after we eat dinner, think you could watch us cook so we could do that?" Both cubs practically begged the knight, ears drooped.

Straightening as he stood, Quimbi stretched, "Eh, why not? Long as I get to lick some of the bowl."

"Deal!"

"Might wanna hold that bowl" Quimbi remarked from his seat by the door. While, he had to admit, it was entertaining to see two young boys trying to cook, he also saw that deep determination. These two genuinely wanted to make this cake and Gum forbid if they messed it up. OR accepted any help! As a result, he was currently a bit bored. Not that the two weren't fun or entertaining. However, when one was not actively involved, time dragged on. He supposed he could have (and probably should) insisted he heat the oven and such but they had such a gung-ho attitude about this being "all from them!" that he did not dare.

The two boys had still had their final biteful of dinner in their mouths when they had tracked him down in the halls and said "Can we start now?" While Quimbi had to admit, he had not expected to be playing supervisor tonight, it was hard not to get caught up in the two's enthusiasm. He'd never seen a kitchen cleaned so quickly, nor bowls, spoons and ingredients pulled out with such fervor.

Funny thing to watch, two young boys climbing on stools to reach the counter, passing an old cookbook back and forth then jumping down a moment later to grab this or that which they'd forgotten.

That was something he understood. His superiors often teased him that he'd lose his head if it wasn't attached. Like, he'd been discussing with Sir Burgundi, he just loved to get involved with so many things. If he had to energy for it, he hardly saw the issue with it being done out of order. Everything he did was always completed! His work was always worthy of praise, his Captain did not give praise out meaninglessly. Though, he HAD been subject to a few of the Captain's "pay attention and don't get sidetracked!" lectures. He wasn't that bad! Gettin' distracted wasn't the end of the world-

A sharp crash got him to jerk to attention, seeing several bowls laying on the floor, the results of two young boys climbing onto the counter to retrieve more equipment. Wincing at his mild space out (though he thought this further proved his point that some spacing out did no harm), he was grateful that none of the bowls were glass. The flatware was undamaged and Toni was quick to snatch it up, rushing to the sink to rinse the dirt off. He handed it up to Cubbi and thus began the biggest mess—the combination of the ingredients to make the cake.

While Quimbi could have intervened, guided the process, he didn't. Not out of lack of want but because when he had risen to walk over to the boys to offer his aid, Toni had said, "We can do it, Sir Quimbi. We can read. We got it!"

He was not one to discourage independence so he had reclaimed his seat!

As for Toni and Cubbi…

"Toni, it says 'fold two eggs.'" Cubbi reported. "How the heck do you "fold" an egg?"

Stepping on his tiptoes next to his friend, Toni read over his shoulder. "Huh. You got me. I guess…maybe put the eggs in the middle and just throw batter on top of it? Kinda like when you fold shirts?" He shrugged "try that."

Well, that seemed to make sense to Cubbi so he proceeded to do just that. It seemed to work. When they added the dry ingredients in, it actually resembled a cake. Pouring it into the cake pans took both of them but they managed it. Some of it spilled onto the counter but that was fixable. Sir Quimbi was awesome! He was letting them do everything! A lot of the other adults would never have let them open the oven or put things in themselves but Sir Quimbi just stuck by the door and told them to 'go for it.'

Finally getting the cake settled, the two boys shut the door and stood up. Cubbi retrieved the empty batter bowl and walked to Sir Quimbi. "Here, we promised."

Laughing, the young knight took a finger swipe of the batter and then handed it back, "One taste is enough. You can have the rest." He stuck his finger in his mouth, "Mm, not bad, squirts. What else you two have to do?" He wasn't lying; he had tasted better batter but he had also tasted worse. Not too bad for a first solo cooking attempt. If he recalled, his first attempt had ended in a deflated cake, hard burnt side and a ruined cake pan that refused to come clean, no matter how he scrubbed…

Toni beamed, "We get to make the syrup covering now. That's the best part! All chocolate!"

Cubbi eyed his friend, "Do we start it now?" he inquired "Thought the recipe said it has to be poured over a cold cake while it's hot."

Toni pouted "Guess you're right. So…maybe start it when the cake is done?" He shrugged "We can put the cake in the freezer while we make it. That should make it cold enough." Here, he beamed, "I know where the cooks keep those nice trays. We can make it look really nice!" Excited at the prospect, both boys looked about, wincing as they saw the flour, sugar, sticky batter and remains of eggs that were currently decorating the counter and the floor. Their feet were coated in broken egg shells and milk.

Quimbi chuckled, "Gives you two time to clean up a little, eh?"

Two identical groans met his ears before both boys rushed off to begin the worst part of cooking-the clean up!

 _Gummadoon Council Chambers_

Plucki was well used to meetings, being a Captain. Gumlittle as well. Being the main guards of the city, you were simply expected to be included in meetings of all sorts. It was an expected cost to leading the defense of the city. This meeting was actually one of the more "tolerable" meetings. Learning from other gummies and gummi knights in particular was always a great exercise! So far, they had learned quite a bit about the rising city of Gumshire. They were quite similar to be frank, though Sir Jamai's group had yet to acquire a lot of trainees, though they had some.

Plucki got the distinct impression he was a bit envious of Gummadoon's trainees.

Though, the Captain supposed he could have been interpreting things differently, probably influenced by his own feelings of guilt. Despite knowing what had to be done, that didn't mean he felt any better about having neglected his young squire. He toyed with the idea of pulling the boy from tutoring for a day to simply make up this lost time to him. Probably not a wise decision and while Ivori would not question it, she would give him quite the disappointed gaze. Plucki knew that pulling the boys out of tutoring, unless it was a rest week or due to illness, was simply not a good practice, especially when his squire needed extra help with the schooling as it was. Still, he debated the concept, reasoning that one day would probably not hurt.

He was being emotional and he knew it. He needed to pull himself out of that mode. No time to let guilt cloud his thoughts. There would be time to make up the lost bonding to his squire. He would make time.

He just wished he could make some tonight! Maybe, if possible, they could end this early and he would at least have time to read a story or two to his Bright Eyes.

Thus far, it was not looking like that was going to be an option.

"I know it's a bit late for this evening," Gumlittle stated "But tomorrow morning, we'd be glad to take you all on a tour of the city. We've heard much about your own city and grounds, we would much desire to share ours with you." He gave them a smile but secretly hoped that this hint would lead to the dismissal of the talks for the evening. Hardly professional he was sure but he could see a similar desire in Plucki's eyes. To just end the meetings for tonight and continue tomorrow. Give them time to go and seek out their squires and spend SOME time with them!

The younger knights didn't always understand the devotion of the mentors to their squires but as they grew older and continued to train and work within the close-knit circuit that was Gummadoon's fighting force, they learned. His connection to Toni and Plucki's to Cubbi was abnormally strong but it was understandable. As it stood, it was fueling two cubs that held more potential than most adults could hope to reach and neither boy had even lost all their baby teeth yet. What they may become…it was something Gumlittle could not wait to find out. Every day he spent time with his squires, he saw hints of it, previews of it.

Hence, his utter frustration at being stuck in this council chamber for so long! He had not been able to spend quality time with ANY of his squires for days! Though, he had to admit, he missed Toni the most. It was no secret they held the strongest bond out of his group, much like Blastus with Corvi or Plucki with Cubbi. Now, learning about these new knights, hearing about their city, their ways, just made him miss his squire all the more. Maybe they should have pushed and just let the boys come in…

Sir Jamai gave a delicate smile, "We have only legends and stories to base our city on, Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle. I assure you that most of us grew up hearing stories of your rescue of our ancestors, ushering them to the safety of the ships that whisked us away to New Gumbrea. Never in a million years did we dream we would end up here, home again, nor that we would have the chance to establish a brand new thriving gummi city...small as ours might be." He smiled brightly, despite the late hour, "We would love to see your city tomorrow morn, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that your squires and pages have us intrigued. We have only a few of our own." Jamai smiled, stroked his dark blue mustache a little bit, a nervous tic perhaps? "Gumshire is a bit of a melting pot of several gummi cities from across the sea. In some cases, we were lucky to have our squires come with us when we began building Gumshire. In some cases, not so much."

Plucki nodded, acceptingly, "You state you do have a few trainees though?"

One of the other knights, a younger fellow, maybe a few years older than Sir Ecri, with dark brown hair and black fur, nodded, "Aye, Sir Plucki. About three as of right now."

Jamai picked up again, "Rather young lads: Arri, Finli and Zuri are our only trainees right now." He smiled over at the three knights to his right, "Arri is under Sir Colbi," he gave a nod to the young knight of purple coloring, "Finli under Sir Linli" he gestured the gummi who had answered Plucki's inquiry, "and Zuri under Sir Herbi" he gave a glance to a slightly older knight with brown fur and brown hair left loose. "They do very well by them but all three boys are under ten. With the changing of cities for them recently, they've needed a little more attention. I'm honestly surprised they didn't try and follow us here." Jamai gave a low chuckle, "Truth be told, Sir Plucki, I'm not sure how you handle being Captain and a mentor."

The golden furred gummi male gave a smirk in response, "Some days are easier than others." He admitted. "Overall though, I've never felt more fulfilled than when I'm working with Cubbi. I hope you will all feel up to meeting him and some of our other squires tomorrow."

Jamai smiled, "Oh, we have heard much about them, Plucki. I believe you and Sir Gumlittle have mentioned Cubbi and Toni multiple times throughout this meeting."

Caught a bit off guard, Sir Gumlittle smiled sheepishly, "We probably have. Apologies for that but I would be lying if I said the boys were not close to our hearts." He shook his head, "Rambunctious as boys can be but good hearted lads the both of them." He paused, silent a moment, before adding, "More potential than I see in most and that's spoken from a strict knight observation point of view, no bias included."

Sir Linli spoke out, "We've heard those two's names repeated the most often and not just in this meeting. As we entered the city, that was frequent." He appeared inquisitive a moment, adding "You mentioned they accompanied you on a trip to the city of Bar. We've had some limited contact with them but they must have earned quite a bit of respect to travel so far."

Both Plucki and Gumlittle nodded, "Lots of things were learned on that trip, not just for us nor for our squires but for all gummies involved." Plucki kept his response short; he told no untruths but the fact remained that things had happened on that trip that had frozen his heart. He preferred not to linger on it. It still occasionally resurfaced for him. Not a pleasant feeling to revisit. Regardless if things had ended well, regardless if the lesson had been learned, regardless of all those things…it had frightened him. "Our cubs earned their right to go with hard work and study and they continue to do that. I'm not about to leave hard work unrewarded."

Sir Jamai gave a firm nod, easily catching the tone that said they should not linger on the topic. "Well said, Sir Plucki. Genuine hard work and determination are traits to be rewarded." He took a breath to clear his throat, "I'd like very much to meet your trainees. I believe our trainees may learn a great deal from them."

Sir Linli broke in "And vice versa, I am sure. I would love to give all our trainees a chance to meet and work with one another. As much as one might learn from their comrades, learning from others who have been trained in a different style is invaluable!"

Mumbles of agreement broke out and Sir Gumlittle replied, "I think that's a grand idea." He shifted his eyes to his knight-brother. "Captain?"

A grin of encouragement met him, "Since when have I ever turned down an excuse for our boys to learn?"

 _Gummadoon Kitchen_

Cubbi beamed as the chocolate mixture on the stove began to bubble and stepped up to peak in the freezer.

Their completed cake was still sitting there. Toni, true to his word, had found a fancy glass tray. They'd set it upon the clear material and carefully deposited it in the freezer while they worked on the yummy chocolate syrup coating. The night was wearing on but it was looking like the knights would be out soon! Finally. Looked like they would wrap this up just in time! The syrup chocolate was bubbling and the cake was cooled and cold, just like the recipe called for. He glanced about, looking for Sir Quimbi. Last thing he wanted was for their hard work to be messed up in this last piece. Much as he loved how Quimbi let them do most of it, it was a comfort that he was there!

Ah, there he was. In the doorway, talking to one of the other knights, looked like Sir Kai. Guess some of the knights not on patrol were still up. Nice to know that even with the grown knights, there were night owls!

"You like babysitting duty?" Kai teased his friend, leaning against the wall. He had nothing against cubs, liked them even but he just didn't have a whole lot of patience for them just yet. Given the late hour, it wasn't uncommon for the knights to gather together, those that were off duty, and tell stories, pal about old days, training days. For some of them, Kai included, it meant enduring some teasing about his latest romantic pursuit but it was all in good fun. Something just...nice…about rebonding with gummies you considered your brothers.

"Aw, these two aren't so bad. I'm surprised they're still holding it together. What time is it, again?"

"Little past eleven." Kai replied. "The bosses are still in the meeting. Looks like they're wrapping up though. I saw a few of the maids starting to gather to clean up and some others double checking the bedrooms."

"Good," Quimbi smirked. "I just wanna see these two light up when they see the boss and second-boss." He laughed aloud. "I think they'll forgive them for staying up past their bedtime."

"They don't have tutoring tomorrow, right?" Kai inquired.

Quimbi frowned, thought then winced, "Think they do actually."

Kai rolled his eyes, "Boss is gonna kill you for letting them stay up this late."

The yellow furred gummi shook his head, "Naw, I doubt it. You've seen how he and Gumlittle are missing these two. Wouldn't surprise me if they let them stay home tomorrow."

"Skip a day of tutoring?" Kai inquired incredulously. "We _ARE_ talking about the same two gummies, right?"

Laughing a bit, Quimbi defended himself, "You seen how bad those two feel for not having time to spend with their squires, especially these two? Wouldn't surprise me. You know Blastus has done it once or twice."

"Blastus is on a completely different planet when it comes to discipline," Kai reminded him, "Remember?"

"In some ways yes, in some ways no." Quimbi argued. "Especially when the bosses see how much trouble they've put into it. You know Plucki especially rewards hard work, especially if it's a sweet gesture." Kai gave a shrug of half agreement then blushed as Quimbi playfully poked at him, "Speaking of sweet gestures…how goes it with Lady Kaydi?"

"What…what are you talkin' about?" The younger knight, though only by a few years, withdrew just a bit, crossed his arms about his chest and overall seemed to shrink.

Quimbi rolled his eyes, "Oh please, Kai. Everyone and their mother knows you like the girl. I see you hanging around that garden shop every chance you get. So, did you try anything yet? Ask her out or anything?" He poked at his friend's ribs again a moment.

Face still flushed red, Kai replied "Well, someone tol' me that she liked…music…so…" he absently rubbed at his upper arms.

"Oh, you did!" Quimbi teased "You wrote her somethin'?" Everyone knew of Kai's talent with the vocals and his writing ability wasn't half-bad either. He just didn't like to flaunt it and he was his own worst critic for reasons that Quimbi did not understand.

"…maybe." Kai glanced to the side.

"Well, go get that lyre of yours and show me!" Quimbi grinned, stepping out of the kitchen, his former charges forgotten. "You know I'll tell you if it's horrible, right?"

Pouting a bit but with a smile, Kai remarked "You're honest, I'll give you that. I'm not gonna play it in these halls though, it'll echo like nothing else."

"So, show me in your chambers. It's my job to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself." He winked at his friend "And to remind you that you always come up with great songs, regardless of what you think of them."

Knowing his friend not to be the type to give up, Kai relented, hands up "Alright, alright, but just real quick. I'm not going to sing the whole song to you. I'm not serenading YOU."

Quimbi let out a laugh and trotted after Kai down the hall, leaving the two cubs alone.

Cubbi pushed up to his tiptoes, glancing into the freezer again, glanced over at Toni. "What do you think?" he inquired, gesturing to the bubbling pot. It wasn't full of bubbles yet but they were certainly rising up and popping every so often as Toni stirred the mixture. The blue furred cub certainly looked every bit as anxious as Cubbi. They were so close! This was the final step, pouring the bubbling goo over their cold cake and then waiting for it to harden. HOPEFULLY by then the meeting would be over! Toni didn't want to admit it but sleep was wearing on him.

"I think once you get the cake over here, it'll be good." Toni responded, pulling some mitts over his hands as the chocolate mixture began to intensify in its bubbling.

Well, that was good enough for Cubbi! Enough waiting! That was the worst thing with cooking! Too much waiting!

Opening the freezer, again, the cub grasped hold of the tray handles. It was a nice tray, one that Toni said was used for their fancy dinners but not so fancy that it was considered china or something. Besides, it hadn't been locked up in those fancy cabinets like a lot of the other fancy glassware was so the two cubs deemed it far game! It was just big enough for their cake. It had turned out rather large and Cubbi wondered, briefly, if the chocolate would pool over the sides. Eh, they would just need to pour it slow then.

Pulling, he nearly lost his balance at both the weight and how cold it was! Yikes! It was like carrying ice. He probably should have worn mitts like Toni was. Ah, well. Moving on.

Stepping down quickly, Cubbi approached the stove, calling, "Clear a spot, Toni, this thing is really heavy."

Quick to obey, the blue haired cub grasped their bubbling pot of chocolate and lifted it off the burner, saying, "There, soon as you set it down, I'll pour."

Struggling a bit with the ice cold tray and heavy cake, the pink furred cub approached the counter. Toni stepped aside a bit, keeping the boiling liquid at about his waist to keep a good grip on it and made room for his partner to maneuver through. Cubbi replaced the hot pot's former location on the stove with the heavy glass tray, grateful to put the darned thing down! His fingers were gonna freeze off or the cake was gonna slid off, one of the two! Finally…

Their relief was short-lived. It was a simple sound, a simple popping before the glass tray shattered (their nearly completed surprise utterly ruined as it collapsed to the floor), violently, sending shards of glass over everything within three feet. Including two shocked and surprised young boys. Had they been a little further away, perhaps they could have been spared but as it was, many of the glass pieces found their mark in blue and pink fur and skin.

In surprise and pain as the glass sliced his arms (and in a partial reflex to protect his eyes), Toni's arms flew up to cover his face, resulting in him dropping the steaming hot pot, where it hit the floor and splashed molten hot syrup on two pairs of young legs.

Screams carried really well through Gummadoon's halls, they found.

 _Gummadoon Council Chamber_

It had taken a bit more time but the gathered knights had finally agreed that it would do little good to continue their meeting when so many of them were exhausted! While they had accomplished quite a bit, with the hour growing late, a dismissal was finally called. It was a little after eleven but with the necessary paperwork and planning that the Captains, on both sides, would need to do before retiring; it was deemed enough for the evening. They had most certainly gotten a lot accomplished! Plans were in place for the next day, preparation had begun for a more in-depth meeting of more knights and squires, arrangements were being set out to have council members and elders be included…all in all, it had been quite successful!

Sir Jamai gave Plucki's hand a firm shake, "Sorry that our meeting had to run so late."

While Plucki inwardly despised that it had done so, he also was more than aware that such things came with the territory. So, he simply gave a smile, "Nothing to be done about it. I hope you rest well—"

The golden-furred gummi's reply was cut abruptly short by a horrendous scream from down in the depths of the palace.

Screams were something you became accustomed to when your career evolved around war. Not just the Captain but all his knights had learned all too well what screams meant death, which screams meant fear, which screams meant shock, it was something the ears evolved to know and many times it was a life-saving warning. Plucki had lost track of the number of times it had alerted him to an attack or to which section of his group needed medical aid or to other dangers. He had taken the art of dissecting sounds seriously.

This sound though made his blood run cold.

That was Cubbi. And Toni!

"Toni!" Gumlittle tore off from the ground and Plucki was not far behind him, taking the stairs three at a time. Cubbi's tone was easy to learn, the cub was pretty outgoing with his emotions. Even when he was trying to be proud and stubborn, Plucki had learned to read that boy's emotions. He was not nearly as good at hiding them as he would like to think he was. That kind of training came with time. Cubbi, like most cubs, put up the tough face but that was partially why Plucki's heart was racing.

Cubbi DID always put up a hard face. Never wanted to be seen as "a little kid" or "a baby." Yet, that cry that he and Gumlittle were following was a cry of pure pain. Not the kind of pain where you screech all kinds of obscenities but the kind of pain where you cannot even form coherent words. It was practically feral-like, just a screech of pure agony that would haunt any adult to their dying breath. All kinds of horrific scenarios began to flood the Captain's mind. None of them had a happy ending.

Finding the two boys was fairly simple. Their screeches were loud and growing louder. That, while giving them a direction, just set the two adults' breathing at a faster pace. Each step seemed to take an eternity and they swore the screaming got louder with every moment. In reality, the knights moved astoundingly fast. Later, their visiting guests would comment on their speed but for now, it hardly seemed fast enough! When they finally slammed the doors open to the kitchen, their hearts dove down into their stomachs.

First, it was a horrendous mess! The remains of some type of cake were splattered all over the floor, along with dozens upon dozens of glass shards. And lying on the ground, amid the glass, were two hysterical young cubs. Both Cubbi and Toni had chocolate or some type of liquid coating a lot of their feet and up to their knees. It was boiling hot, whatever it was! Still bubbling a bit when they rushed over to their children, which at least meant they had arrived quickly. Both boys apparently had tried to wipe off some of the liquid because there was some on their hands, which they were now currently clutching to their lower limbs in pain.

Without bothering to ask what had occurred (that could be sorted out later), the two knights snatched their squires up from the floor and instantly moved them to the sink. Luckily, with the boys being small, it worked in their favor, they could just sit them right down in the basin and turn on the cool water. Much as the boys probably wanted it to be ice cold, that would be too risky. But they definitely needed to soothe those horrible burns! This was all done in a quarter of a second, with the cubs in question not doing much aside from screeching. Gumlittle's squire had more over his feet while Cubbi had more on his shins but both boys definitely had damage to both the feet and lower legs. The boiling substance (found to indeed be heated chocolate) was coming off fairly easily but oh what a sight it uncovered!  
Fur burned away for the most part and dark red skin, with horrific white blisters already starting to pop up from the offended flesh.

Pride was forgotten for the moment as both cubs had tears streaming down their faces and while the water began to cool some of the pain, their tolerance for it was not strong enough to be non-verbal about it. Toni's screeching had given way to "ithurts!ithurts!" in rapid succession. Cubbi, biting his lower lip, tried desperately to stop his screeching and while he managed that, his eyes were still leaking tears in more abundance than he liked! Shifting his glance up to Plucki, he tried, so hard, to stop the crying but it was little use. It hurt so bad!

"I know." Plucki spoke as gently as he could easily seeing the boy's emotions in those wide frightened eyes. As soon as the cool water began to soothe that burning sensation that coated his poor legs, the cub whimpered, a bit under his breath. "I know, I know it hurts." Plucki tried to reassure the child, tried to let him know that if he wanted to screech his head off, that was fine! Gum, he was in such pain, the last thing on his mind should be what others THOUGHT of it! The Gummadoon Captain stroked the boy's hair back a little bit before gently spooning the water a bit further up with a cupped hand. What more could be said? As much as Plucki wanted to take the pain away, he couldn't. As horrible as hearing the cubs in pain was, it was also a good thing. That meant the burns had not gone dangerously deep. Though, the blisters were a concern. The sooner they got to a healer, the better. The Captain wet down a damp towel in the cool water, passing one to Gumlittle and took the second, gently laying it across the Cubbi's legs and feet before scooping him up again, cradle style. "Let's get you to Sarrika. She'll patch you up and then you can tell us what happened, alright?"

Cubbi, despite his pain, was trying to try speaking. It was really hard to keep things straight. He had been burned before but never like this. He'd had had hot tea spilled on him before but this boiling chocolate syrup stuff…that was a whole new dimension of pain. He'd seen white and his breath had failed him, at least until his screams came out. It had been like he was incapable of forming words. He just remembered his legs suddenly feeling like they were on fire and not being able to make it stop!

The halls of Gummadoon were going past in rapid succession. Plucki was moving fast! He didn't know adults could move that fast! They were halfway up the stairs when he saw Sir Quimbi and Sir Kai running around the corner. Quimbi saw them and his face just…turned white. Not pale or anything but actually white under the fur. Plucki and Gumlittle didn't stop to ask questions, just plowed past him, with Sir Kai staring at their retreating back in stunned silence. Cubbi briefly caught a mouthed "Oh Gum…" from Quimbi from over Plucki's shoulder but then, they were in the medical bay, quick as that!

Sarrika was drawn from reading through some research by the sudden entry of the two knights, each cradling a cub close to their chest. Leaping up so quickly that her chair toppled over, she rushed the two knights. Without bothering to inquire about what happened, she pointed as she ran for her supplies, "Lay them down on the tables. I'll need you two to stay here with them." Now, one might think that such a phrase would be common sense but with Sarrika, she was commonly known for throwing the knights and family out during procedures. Not to be cruel but because the bond between the knights and their trainees tended to make them more distracting than helpful if there were injuries. As brave as the squires were, they were not unknown to become whiny little cubs when hurt, especially if their mentors were around. The knights, likewise, tended to become a bit mother-henish if their cubs were hurt. Not to the extent that some might expect, given their experience with war, but enough it could be distracting. Thus, it was a bit shocking to hear Sarrika ask the two adults to stay, not leave.

"I may need you to keep them still." She reported, already starting to cut away at the clothing clinging to the boys' legs. She opted for Cubbi first as his burns seemed more concentrated on his shins and legs while Toni's were on his feet and ankles. In any event, she needed to get the clothing away from the burns. Without even thinking, she passed a second pair of scissors to Gumlittle, saying, "Get his pants off, anywhere that there may be a burn, the clothing has to come away." She bit her lower lip, "It will be painful but the faster the better. Then I can see exactly what we're dealing with."

Toni's sharp rapid screams interrupted her before she could say much else. The young child, despite his usual pride, was no match for the pain that boiling hot liquid could inflict on a person. He was writhing like he was possessed, with only Gumlittle's strong grip keeping him from falling off the table. Every two seconds it seemed, the knight was reaching over and restraining the cub from grabbing at his burnt feet. The strong willed cub kept screeching, "THEY HURT ALREADY! NO MORE! GUMMIE!" the child pleaded.

Gumlittle obediently took the tools offered and set to work, having to peel some of the clothing away, slowly, at least twice. Every moment of this treatment was accompanied by a child screaming in his ear and more than once hitting tiny little fists against his arms in protest but he did his best to tune it out. Not to be cold but because it was necessary. Regardless of how much pain it was causing, the wounds had to be cleaned and bandaged. No injury was ever to be ignored and burns in particular were nasty things. Even minor ones were things to be addressed quickly. The blisters that Gumlittle could see was proof enough that there were at least some areas where more than a simple burn had taken place. He was no healer but he knew deep red skin, burned off fur and blisters were never good signs…

"OW! Gummie, Stoooop!" Toni's tiny fists crashed against Gumlittle's temple that time. Hard as he could manage which was pretty significant for his age but the knight didn't budge from his task. Toni's throat was starting to hurt from the screeching but what else could he do? The few times he tried to stop, the cries just burst out of his throat again, like some kind of wild animal that he couldn't stop. All he knew so far was that Gumlittle was tearing up his clothes and yanking at his skin and Gum Above, that hurt! Why was Gummie hurting him?! "Gummie, stop! Gummie, stop, please! PLEASE! YOU'RE HURTINGME!" The cub's words blended together near the end.

Reaching out one hand, the larger gummi stroked the boy's hair back, "Shh, be calm Toni." Hearing those words 'you're hurting me' cut his heart like a knife. He knew burns hurt, had seen them and had experienced a few himself but to see a child, his strong Toni, just arching his back, trying to kick and punch to get away from him because he was hurting him…

"YOU'REHURTINGME! PLEASE GUMMIE, STOP!" Despite his embarrassment over admitting such a thing, this was a level of pain that exceeded all others had experienced. He was willing to throw his pride aside for the moment. He hurt, he hurt so badly and he was angry. Well, maybe not angry. Or at least not _just_ angry. He was disappointed and sad. What had started as a fun project and indeed had grown to be something he truly was proud of, something he couldn't wait to see a reaction to had suddenly blown up in his face.

Literally.

Now, not only did he had burns that caused pain that defied description but the entire goal he had gotten in pain trying to do was destroyed. All this freakin' pain and he didn't even have anything to show for it. AND GUM IT ALL, HE HURT! Fire! Utter fire was shooting up and down his feet and ankles, rocketing all the way up to his brain, hitting harder than any physical blow. He could barely see anything if he kept his eyes open, just pure white of mindless pain. So, better to just keep them shut. Keep them shut and try to get away, away, away from the pain!

"OW!" Toni threw his fist out that time when Gumlittle pulled the cut pieces of fabric away from the skin. Being a knight, the adult caught the boy's hand gently, easily, but Toni wasn't done. "Stop it!" he hissed again, almost kicking his legs but the slightest movement sent waves of pain up the limb. Enough that Toni fell back flat on the table and turned to his side, whimpering in pain. Stretching out for his feet and lower legs, he attempted to grasp at the wounds but again, his mentor gently stopped him. "Gummie…" he half pleaded, half-sobbed.

"Shh," the knight stated again, in that patient baritone. "I know it hurts Toni but rubbing it won't help. It'll make it worse in fact."

"Then make it stop!" Toni groaned. He sobbed, wailed, "MAKE IT STOP!"

Gumlittle shifted his eyes to the healer who was trying to work as quickly as she could but being that there was just one of her and two patients, she was doing the best she could. "Healer," he cut into her work as delicately as he could. After all, she and Plucki were trying to help Cubbi, who was having a similar reaction as Toni. If anything, those cub's cries were louder, shriller. With as much pain as Toni was in, Cubbi's burns covered more area. Plucki was nearly having to pin the boy down! "What should I do?"

Without turning from her work, she stated, "Clean them off with that disinfectant as best you can. Then I can really examine how much damage was done." It felt a bit callous to not be focusing on Toni as much as Cubbi but based on the cursory look over she had done as the knights had brought them in, Cubbi had worse burns, or at the very least, more of them. His were also higher up so they had to remove more clothing than with Toni. While hearing Toni screech as Gumlittle had cut away and removed cloth was horrific, the knight had only had to do so about three times before he reached non-burned flesh. Removing the rest of the boy's slacks had been fairly easy. Well, as easy as removing clothes could be from a screaming, crying, squirming and pleading child.

Nothing was easy with poor Cubbi! The boy had burns up his shins and even a few burns on the thighs. Some of them had been potent enough that the clothing had burned away but a lot of them; you could see the skin practically sizzling through the pants. Plucki, being more well versed than most in childhood injuries due to having had a child, had not needed any of Sarrika's prompts; he had started to cut the clothing away as soon as they had put the boy down. It was hard though. Oh, not the cutting or knowing what to do. Plucki was well versed in that. It was…

The crying.

Well, perhaps that wasn't fair. Plucki knew how to deal with crying. Being both a Captain in charge of squires and knights with families on top of having had one himself was very good at teaching you how to handle crying. However, this wasn't normal crying. The sobbing that was currently ransacking his ears was not littered with words or shouts as Toni's was, nor did it contain pleas and begging. That was what made it so horrific. It was crying, simple shouts and sobs of pain and agony. No cursing, no yelling. Just pure unfiltered pain.

Cubbi would turn to the left and then to the right, screeching and howling, trying to claw at his legs. Plucki had already had to pin the boy's arm back and he hated to do that. It just made the cub screech louder. Plucki tried gently speaking to the boy but he wasn't sure how much Cubbi heard him. But Gum, he had to try! "Cubbi, I need you to keep still." Plucki hated having to have such a strong grip on the boy's arms but he HAD to keep still. If those blisters burst or if he tore into one of those burns…

He HAD to stay still.

Cubbi hardly heard anything Plucki was telling him. His brain was screaming messages of pain and currently, that was all he could hear, all he could focus on. He was fairly certain that his legs were boiling, that the chocolate had caught aflame on his flesh! He HAD to get to them, he had to make them stop burning! He didn't care how! Rolling around, hitting them, any way! But every time he moved, every time he tried to claw at those horrible burning, Plucki's hand was there, restraining his wrist.

And he was pulling and cutting and yanking on the burning flesh! Why was he tormenting him? It hurt SO much! Why was Plucki letting it burn? Why wasn't he putting it out? He opened his mouth to ask, to demand why but the pain his legs suddenly took a quantum leap into a completely separate plane as the flesh gave slightly as someone, probably Plucki, pulled the clothing away from where it clung. He felt his vision turn completely white then red and every muscles in his body went rigid. A horrendous scream, sounding like some kind of tormented animal shot through his ears.

Took Cubbi a moment to realize the screaming was coming from him.

"Be brave, my boy." Plucki cooed gently to the boy, laying his head right close to the child, still keeping a harsh grip on the boy's wrists with one hand and leaning some of his body weight onto the boy's torso. He hated to do so. He hated seeing those tears making trails down the boy's cheeks and being unable to do a thing! Being helpless, especially where this child was concerned, always caused a sickening feeling in his gut. The knight captain leaned a bit closer, lying his forehead on Cubbi's, speaking in a soft tone, "Shh, lad. The pain will stop soon, I promise you." In the same movement, while he kept his head pressed on Cubbi's, he eyed Sarrika who caught on swiftly.

The healer took advantage of Cubbi being held still, or as still as they were going to get him, and quickly sliced the remaining pants away. Plucki had managed to get some of the clothing sliced before he had to focus on keeping the child still so she had less clothing to cut. She tried to cut it as fast as she could and thankfully, any movement of his legs caused him pain so he kept them more or less stable but the utter quivering of agony the boy's body was enduring tore at her heart. Quickly. She needed to get them off quickly.

The burns clung to the clothing as she pulled and the skin gave, just a bit.

Cubbi howled and they finally got some decipherable vocals from the child.

"STOP IT!" he screeched with a tone so high pitched it made her ears dip. "STOOOOP!"

Plucki, true to his nature, was instantly there, pressing his forehead against Cubbi's, stroking the boy's hair back, "Shh, I need you to be calm for me, my boy. Sarrika is going to make the pain stop. But first we must get to the burns. Please, deep breaths for me, lad." He eyed Sarrika lightly, praying for an easy removal of the remaining clothes.

They had no such luck.

Oh, they caught, for certain. Sarrika had to add a little cooling solution on top of several areas of burns and then peel careful to prevent more injuries. Luck was with them though after the third time and the clothing came loose. Though, not without Cubbi letting out another sharp howl of high pitched anguish and elbowing their Captain hard in the jaw as he tried to jerk away. The knight barely made a reaction to it, aside from rubbing his cheek once. Instead, he went right back to his gentle speech. It really was intriguing. Sarrika had known Plucki a while but it still astounded her how his voice could drop to such a soft tone that you almost got sleepy listening to it.

Plucki kept up his gentle talking, soothing the cub with non-coherent murmurs (saying things that only someone who had been a parent could possibly get away with), all the while still stroking the cub's face, before saying, "Shh, you're going to be fine, lad. You and Toni are quite brave boys! I am impressed!"

All he received from Cubbi was a choked sob and a shriek of pain from Toni.

"Young knights," Gumlittle said softly, with a hand on Toni's head and a gentle squeeze to Cubbi's hand, "Sometimes the pain from burns can force even an adult into unconsciousness. The fact that you two are still awake is admirable. As is you being so cooperative." Granted, Toni could have been more cooperative as could have Cubbi but for children their age, being in as much pain as they were…it was cooperative enough to be worthy of praise. Despite his reassurances to the younger gummies, Gumlittle was shooting the healer a dark look. While no words were exchanged, the look in his eyes was pretty simple— _can you give them something for the pain?!_

Sarrika was already working on that. "I'll need to salve and bandage the wounds. Then I'll have a better idea of the healing time." As she spoke, she bit her lip, looking over the different bottles and concoctions before heaving a regretful sigh as she stood up and removed a small red jar from the top most shelf. She had hoped she would not need this one but with Toni only able to say a few words and Cubbi not able to really say any, that was a strict indicator to her of how much pain she needed to address. It was necessary.

"Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle? How heavy are your boys?" It would do little good to ask the cubs; she was amazed the knights were able to understand them. Being a healer, she was accustomed to having crying and screaming shouts of pain but it was always heart wrenching, always distracting and you scarcely got accurate information from one in so much agony. Sarrika had no children herself so she found that when children were in hysterics, it became much more difficult to understand them, despite how she tried. Honestly, she needed to start hanging around cubs more to remedy that shortcoming. In the meantime though, the knights, despite the worry and concern draping both of them, were adjusted enough to war and chaos to remain calm. Plus, somehow or another, they were able to translate blubbering-in-pain-cub-speak. Not that it helped much but their ability to translate any of it was note-worthy. When she had gotten the wounds tended to, she had to say, she would desire answers as well. Knowing what happened, how long ago, how close they had been and the like was going to have an effect on how fast they healed. Was it completely necessary? Well, no, but it would most definitely help!

She was getting ahead of herself. Focus on the moment! Plucki and Gumlittle, always well informed, were giving her the figures she needed. Some quick math in her head…

"Here," Sarrika approached, a small cup of white murky liquid in each hand. She handed one to each knight who quickly helped their squire sit up enough to drink, trying to prevent as much movement as possible. It was still done with quite a bit of moaning, screeching, yelling and the flowing tears had yet to stop. They nearly had to crush the boys in tight bear-hug type grips to prevent them from squirming away. In fact, Plucki was starting to think they might have to pry the boys' mouths open. However, luckily, as much as they were crying and screaming, when Plucki said, "Open up for me, Cubbi. This will help the pain. I promise," Cubbi did respond and crack his lips some. To be in so much pain, to have your muscles tensed so much that such a simple act was difficult…no child should have to do such a thing but these two brave cubs were doing it.. Even Toni, while still sobbing and screeching, responded in kind to Gumlittle's request. A surge of pride filled the two knights and each one of them gave each child a "good, lad" to their obedience.

Each boy took the cup pressed to their lips without protest, earning another statement of admiration from their mentor, and swallowed quickly. The end result was a mix of two boys gagging and still whimpering, crying and screaming at the same time. They had never actually stopped their tears but any control they had been gaining over their pain expression vanished under the swallow of the medication. Cubbi made a horrific face, wrinkling his nose up tight and letting his tongue hang out just a bit before screeching in agony again and burying his face into Plucki's shoulder.

Toni was much more verbal about his displeasure, with quite a few punctuated phrases that he normally would have gotten swatted for. That was intermittent with cries of pain, pleas to not let the burning move any higher, pleas to make it stop at any cost. Toni's shouts were becoming less pronounced though not because the pain became any less. Yelling and screeching took way too much energy. He was wearing out and he knew it was from all his crying, which, damn it all, he was STILL doing! He was gonna be a knight. Knights didn't cry over burns! Not even these horrible, awful kinda burns! He needed to be able to just stomach this and ….and…

"Gum!" he screeched again, trying to grab at his feet again but Gumlittle, again, stopped him, though gently with soothing words and a hand to his head.

"Lay them back down. It'll take effect soon." Sarrika reassured them as she began to remove bandages and other bottles and salves. "It takes some time but it'll kick in soon." She felt a bit repetitive saying 'soon' again but the fact of the matter was that no medication was instantaneous. She had been reluctant to give them as powerful a medication as she had but given the intensity of their pain and the possible need to cut and possibly skin graft some of those burns(though she hoped not and it was not looking that way), she opted for the strongest possible dose she could give without endangering them. Letting them know that it was only a matter of time was a slight comfort.

Toni noticed the effects first, probably about ten minutes to twenty minutes after swallowing that nasty concoction. Took long enough and his cheeks were starting to burn from the tears and his throat beginning to hurt from the crying, despite how he tried to restrain it. Gumlittle holding him close to his side and stroking his head was a great help but if you hurt as bad as he did, there really wasn't much you could do. Plus, seeing Sarrika get out some of those tools…it made him nervous. Small little cutting tools and sponges and green stuff he couldn't identify. It was a relief in more ways than one when the pain began to recede.

It was subtle at first. His burns were beginning to throb less and he started to feel almost sluggish. Tired, almost ridiculously tired. Like even keeping his eyes open was too much effort. He let them slide shut and shifted from his semi-sitting position to a completely horizontal one and lay his head against Gumlittle's nearby lap. The knight swiftly started to stroke the boy's white hair once he was settled, saying, "Relax, Sport. Let the medication do its work. I'll be here when you wake up." He gave a paternal smile to the boy. "And those nasty wounds will be dealt with."

"…'omise?" Gum, everything was blurry…

A deeper smirk and he patted the boy's head a bit, "I promise."

Sleep claimed the blue furred child not long after.

With Toni out, Cubbi was swiftly following though he was protesting it a bit more. It may have been a mix of several things, with the intensity of his burns being the most prominent factor but there was also the issue of him just in general being a stubborn child. Especially if he was trying to put on a image. So far, he was convinced he had shown Plucki he was the most horrible squire ever with his crying and he was determined to make up for it. Once the pain began to reduce enough that he could focus a wee bit more, he was not about to let sleep suddenly claim him. He had been an embarrassment, he was sure! He needed to apologize…needed ot make up for…all this…crying…

Plucki had become quite accustomed to the boy's protests of sleep and relaxation, so when the cub began the slight rubbing of his eyes and swaying, Plucki opted to try and eliminate this foolish act quickly. The knight moved to sit next to him on the examination table and gently lifted the child, again, so he was laying in his lap like a cat, curled against his torso. It was a little difficult, given the nature of the boy's wounds but the knight captain managed it. Cubbi had squirmed a bit at first with a choked sob of pain being cut down barely but the comfort of the knight's arms proved too tempting to pull himself out of. Knight-to-be or not, he was a child and a hurt child at that. Being coddled just plain felt good.

Despite how he tried to resist against it.

"Be calm, Cubbi. You don't need to impress anyone right now." Plucki's voice was even, gentle, the same tone he used frequently when they read together at the end of a long day. It was soothing to the soul.

"You're…not leaving?" Cubbi inquired. Wasn't he disappointed? Their guests…they'd made them…leave the guests…

Shaking his head, Plucki replied, "Not until you say I may. Do you want me to stay?"

A simple nod before sleep finally took him.

 _Gummadoon Kitchen_

"Quimbi…"

The yellow furred bear turned when the hand fell on his shoulder. The kitchen looked spotless. You would never have known there had been any type of accident. Quimbi had scrubbed the pots that survived, thrown away the shattered one and thus far, if it scrubbed the floor any longer, the stone would begin to give. Yet, he couldn't help it.

Kai knelt to his side, his eyes wide with concern, "Quimbi, don't beat yourself up about—"

"Kai, just stop." Quimbi interrupted him, eyes dark as his hands curled into tight fists. Not angry, no, this was a different emotion. Guilt, sadness and self-hatred all rolled into one. "It _is_ my fault. I told the squirts that I would watch them. You know how freaking excited they were? I promised to watch them, to help them make their surprise. And I let them down. Did you see them? HEAR them? Gum, you know how bad someone has to hurt to scream like that?"

Kai shook his head. It wasn't a rhetorical question. Kai was young, barely out of squirehood and while Quimbi was not too much older than him, he had seen his share of battles. The inquiry had been a serious one. "No, I don't. But I also know that if you just sit here and wallow and worry, you're only tormenting yourself."

Frustrated, Quimbi slammed his fists into the stone floor, "What would you have me do, Kai?!"

Not withdrawing despite his friend's outward display of anger, he stated simply, "Go see them."

That seemed to halt Quimbi's tirade but he shook his head, "I can't…" He wasn't kidding himself. It wasn't just that he had burned, or at least not-saved-them-from-burning-themselves, the bosses' kids. He was in for it and he knew it but that wasn't what halted him. Truthfully, Plucki could have stripped him of his rank and he wouldn't have cared. Seeing and hearing Toni and Cubbi in so much pain and knowing he had caused it…whether inadvertently or not…that cut him deeper than any knife. How could he see them? What right did he have? What had he done? What if they were permanently scarred? Injured? Made lame? Gum, had he just taken all those boys' dreams away from them—

"Quimbi!" Kai grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him once, seeing his mind beginning to whirl. "Quimbi, you're just going to drive yourself crazy with all the maybes and buts. Isn't it better to just go and find out and deal with whatever comes of it?" He locked eyes with the elder gummi, saying, "Besides, do you want to NOT go and have those kids wonder why you just took off on them and didn't even bother to check on them?"

Forced to think of those bright eyes again, those shining laughs and giddy smiles, Quimbi closed his eyes, "No, no, I don't want them thinking that."

"So go and see them…"

A pause, a very lengthy pause, before Quimbi gave a simple nod, a simple, hard nod. Kai was right. He owed the cubs that much. He needed to see them. He needed to see with his own eyes how they were, how much damage had been done. He needed to see if he could offer any means of making up for this horrible blunder of judgement. There must be something he could do and on his honor, he was going to find a way to do it!

Kai bit his lower lip even as he helped Quimbi up. While he knew that nothing but actually seeing how the cubs were would calm Quimbi's racing thoughts and he wanted to know how they fared just as much as Quimbi, he also dreaded to picture what would await his friend. The bosses were not going to be happy…

 _Gummadoon Sick Bay_

"No need to do any cutting, luckily." Sarrika remarked with a sigh of relief as she loped another layer of salve onto the harsh burns on Cubbi's legs. Plucki was tying the bandages on the other leg as she finished up coating the burns on his right one. She had been forced to do some cutting and shaving of the boy's fur around the wounds, which would itch like nothing else when the fur began to grow back in but she didn't want anything irritating the burns as they healed. A glance over at Toni revealed the boy's feet heavily bandaged, propped on a pillow, with Gumlittle still holding the boy's head in his lap. It was a pitiful sight, to see a child so heavily wrapped in white but the good news was that it was limited to his feet and ankles. She had found that none of their burns required her to do skin transfers, nor do any more cutting than trimming the fur around the area to allow healing. It was encouraging!

"Then they'll heal without issue?" Plucki inquired as he finished the last tie of bandage. Cubbi's breathing was heavy and he scarcely moved. The burns had been cleaned, medicated and wrapped. Logically, he had done all he could do but he was left wanting. He wanted…needed to do something more. Had it been enough? Would their efforts ensure a speedy recovery? It was vitally important to him and he was cure to communicate that to the healer with his pleading eyes. Sarrika paused a moment, unused to such desperation from her Captain of the Guard before double-checking the bandages and giving a firm nod,

"Yes, they'll heal but it will take time." She frowned as she walked over and re-examined Toni's wrappings. "No third degree burns, luckily but those burns are most certainly second degree. The blisters will eventually pop but I'd like to avoid it as long as possible. They'll need to be kept coated with salve and wrapped for the next few days. I don't want either of them walking until I feel the burns are healing enough to go without the salve." She frowned, thinking, eyeing the knights, "I'll give you some of the pain drink to give them today and into tomorrow. After that, I want to try them on a milder pain relief." She sighed, arched her back some as she stood up from examining Toni, "And until I know how they'll react, I want them here." She didn't like to keep people in sick bay for too long but for necessity's sake, she would.

Gumlittle, without removing his eyes from his squire, inquired, "What did you give them, Sarrika?" He knew Plucki had been wondering the same thing, what with how quickly the boys dropped into unconsciousness and the level of sleep that they had seeped into. It was not something brought on by a regular pain reliever, even one of the more powerful ones they possessed.

A deep hearted sigh met the knights' ears "Poppy Milk."

Oh, the two stared at her. They didn't say anything but they stared. Feeling more than a little uncomfortable, she defended, "I was reluctant but with the amount of pain, with the level of burns and where they were, I wanted to be sure the pain relief was effective. That takes a lot of medication…. I doubt they'll need it beyond tomorrow." She added quickly, " I want to take them off of it as soon as I can. The dose I'll give them later won't be quite as strong or potent." She set about mixing up the future dose as she spoke. Keeping pain levels down would be crucial when the boys woke up.

Gumlittle finally nodded and looked down at Toni, stroking his head, "Well, it certainly explains the sleepiness." He had known that whatever Sarrika had used would have resulted in sleep and he knew the burns were painful but he was still shocked. Poppy milk was quite powerful. Rarely used even on full grown adults. For Gumlittle and Plucki, it was just another chunk of proof towards how much their children hurt. They trusted their healer, whole-heartedly, but the knowledge that she had opted to use Poppy Milk on children just reinforced to them how painful those burns, those wounds on their squires were.

A hurt that they couldn't take away.

Plucki took a heavy breath, not taking his eyes away from Cubbi who was curled up, sleeping in his lap. The cub stirred, just slightly but a hand on his back calmed him. "What can we do to ease it?"

Sarrika allowed herself a smile at the two worried knights, "Aside from the medication and rest, exactly what you're doing now. Spoil."

 _Gummadoon Halls_

Quimbi took a heavy breath as he made his way down the halls. Kai followed, not saying anything for the longest time. They just paced down the halls, quiet shadowy reflections of one another. Kai had managed to get Quimbi to admit that he needed to see the cubs but to actually make their way up towards sick bay was another matter altogether. Quimbi wanted to see them, needed to see them but he also was deeply afraid of what he would find when he got there. Oh, he was fairly certain that the two of them had not died or fallen into some sick-sleep due to their injuries (as even with healers trying to be quiet, that news would have traveled fast) but he dreaded to see what had happened.

What he had let happen.

Kai eyed him, "Quimbi, I think you have effectively taken the longest and most roundabout way to reach sick bay."

Head down, his hair falling into his eyes, Quimbi shoved it back roughly with a grunt. "Sorry. I…it's not that I don't want to see them. I DO. I must."

"Yet you're afraid of what you will find?" a new voice cut in.

Both Kai and Quimbi whirled around, a bit embarrassed that they had been caught off guard. Coming around the corner, they recognized one of the visiting knights, an elder fellow with black fur and long loose brown hair. He approached, clear purpose in mind. The two younger knights gave him a half salute; he was elder and of higher rank than them but the visitor simply scoffed and waved his hand, "No formalities, please. I'd like to speak candidly." Quimbi gave a nod and Kai leaned in close to his ear.

"He wants to what?"

Quimbi allowed himself a smile, finally. Despite being quite smart and a master of music, lyrics themselves never came easily to Kai. That was why he often did not sing his own works. He preferred to let the music do the story-telling. He was never well versed in vocabulary. He just didn't find it to be something that was important. Straight, direct and to the point with conversations was Kai's preference. That, and the fact that he was barely an adult, being only twenty years old, made the comment understandable. "He means he wants to be genuine."

The gummi knight nodded, "Aye, boy." He said simply. It wasn't meant as an insult. He was around middle aged, even for a gummi so two gummies around Quimbi and Kai's ages were indeed still 'boys' to him. He had his eyes primarily fixed on the yellow furred knight, the one that called himself Quimbi if memory served him right. They had met them, very briefly, when they first arrived to Gummadoon. Not much in way of conversation had been exchanged but Herbi Gummi knew emotional distress when he saw it, when he heard it.

He shifted his eyes to the youngest of the two, the one called Kai, "Please, Sir Kai, might I borrow your friend just for a bit?"

Kai eyed Quimbi gave his shoulder a gentle shove, "Be my guest. Maybe he'll listen more to someone more…experienced." Kai caught himself before he said "older." Not the best idea in the world to bring that up, even if it was true. He left the two in the hall, vanishing down the corridor, calling, "Let me know what you find out, Quimbi." Then, with that, he had slipped around the corner and into the quiet pathways. For a moment, Quimbi watched after his back before he turned to face their visitor.

"Sir…" he started, trying to remember the gummi's name.

"Sir Herbi," the knight replied to the younger gummi's inquiry, "Might we take a walk?"

Feeling more than a little guilty about not continuing on his quest, Quimbi nonetheless followed. He wasn't exactly thrilled to be pulled off task (given that such a thing is what caused this mess to begin with) but he also…just didn't feel ready for what he might encounter behind sick bay's doors. A walk through one of the small gardens on the patios nearby would not hurt. Maybe, it could calm his nerves a bit. He fell into step beside the older knight and slowly padded the hallways out into the cool night air, among the gummiberry bushes. While not their largest gummiberry garden (that belonged to the huge greenhouse near the center of the city) it was a familiar setting for both parties.

"I take it that you feel you're responsible for whatever caused those two cubs to scream earlier?" Sir Herbi opened the conversation, walking slowly, hands clasped behind his back casually.

Quimbi winced, "Yes, Sir." He responded. "I…failed in what I promised to do. I told them that I would watch them so they could finish a surprise. I…left them alone." Saying it aloud made it seem even worse. "I promised to watch them and I left."

A simple nod of acknowledgement.

"I…it…I didn't think anything of it. Kai and I were talkin' and I figured a few minutes wouldn't hurt. Then Kai and I started to joke around and I…I just forgot about them." He put a hand to his forehead, let his head sway from side to side, "Stupid…so stupid."

"You are easily distracted." Herbi said simply.

"I am." Quimbi admitted. "Never seemed to be a big deal before now…"

Herbi just gave him a simple look. No words, just a look.

With deep sigh, Quimbi admitted, "Well, okay, the others have told me it's a problem. But, I always managed to get done what I needed to get done and to do it well. So, I always figured that they were exaggerating. My Captain always said that if I didn't get it under control…" He froze, memories rushing his mind, "That someone would get hurt one day." He groaned, buried his face in his hands again, "Gum…"

"Many times, young one," Herbi said simply, "It is not enough to be told something. Sometimes, we have to experience it."

"It wasn't just me though!" Quimbi replied, turning sharply, "I got those two poor kids hurt! They took the blunt of this. That isn't fair!"

Herbi nodded but shrugged, "Who says life is fair?" he stated simply, "You made a mistake and instead of it hurting you, it hurt someone close to you…which in turn, hurts you." He shifted his stance, placed a hand on Quimbi's shoulder, "I am not saying it is right but that is how it is. Now, you can either replay the what-ifs, the shoulds…or you can take this as the first step towards reforming this mistake, to making certain whatever fault you had that allowed it to happen does not happen again. I would dare say, young one, that you could even ask your Captain about it. He may find it refreshing that you are attempting to correct it."

"If he doesn't kill me first." Quimbi remarked. "Though, I'd not blame him if he did." He sighed, heavily, "Wouldn't blame those kids if they never speak to me again either." That hurt…a lot. He loved kids and those two in particular always managed to make him smile. The idea that he had damaged his relationship beyond repair burnt deeply. Burnt…what right did he have to talk about burns?

A knowing smile from Sir Herbi, "One thing I have learned over my many years, Sir Quimbi is that children are far more forgiving than we often deserve. I doubt they will hold this against you for long, if they do at all. As for your Captain, I do not doubt he will have anger. However, I urge you to use it to your advantage. Ask him to help you. Ask him to help you find a way to root out this flaw, to correct it, to control it." He smiled, "That will make any penalty he bestows upon you far more meaningful."

Quimbi eyed the knight, "You don't think he'll hold anger for me?" He knew Plucki was not one to hold a grudge but this was his squire that he'd gotten hurt and everyone and their mother knew that Cubbi had won Plucki's heart over.

Herbi smiled, again, with compassion, "Oh, he will be angry, make no mistake. However, I also know your Captain is fair. We are all only mortal Sir Quimbi. Sometimes, our lessons are harsh. Sometimes they are cruel. This is one of those times. But, it is the cruel and harsh lessons that teach the strongest message. The more messages we receive, the wiser we grow and the less cruel lessons life must give us. So, take this as a learning opportunity, as a time to truly thrust all your will into correcting what was done wrong. THAT will have a positive effect, far more than letting the guilt eat up your heart."

A pause from Quimbi then he nodded, firmly, once. Just once. Straightening up, he turned his direction, back towards the inside halls, back where he would make his trek to sick bay, take responsibility for what he had done and in whatever way he could, make amends, both for the children and for his Captain. He would not let such distraction cause such problems again. Ever. He did not know how he would accomplish this but whatever means his leaders deemed might be useful, he would undertake. This dangerous trait…this trait that had…he would snuff it out. Turning to face the elder knight, he bowed lightly, "Thank you, for your counsel Sir Herbi."

"Make use of it and it will be paid in full."

 _Gummadoon Sick Bay_

Waking up was an odd experience. Cubbi was used to taking some time to get oriented but this felt different. He felt a little giddy but not overly so and drained, foggy. He could have sworn his head was enveloped in a huge cloud. His limbs felt oddly heavy and moving them was a chore. Yet, there was still a consistent throbbing ache that ran up his legs. It was nothing compared to the agony from earlier but it was disconcerting nonetheless. He shouted at his eyelids, commanding them to open but they were quite obstinate for a time. That left Cubbi with little to do but try and catch up on what happened.

He remembered the incident in the kitchen, he remembered the pain…he'd remember that until the day he died…he remembered being rushed to sick bay. He remembered Plucki.

Plucki!

Groaning a bit, he managed to crack his eyes and dragged a limp hand to rub at them, try and force them to stay open.

A gentle chuckle above him and strong fingers lacing through his hair got his attention and he slowly shifted his tired eyes upward. He found Sir Plucki smiling down at him. He was half sprawled across the knight's lap, in some kind of cot in Sick Bay. It was more comfortable than that table, that was for sure. Cubbi didn't say anything for a moment, his eyes shifting across the landscape, trying to take in everything. He saw Gumlittle sitting on the cot next to him, a fully-awake Toni settled in his lap. The feet and ankles up to the mid shin were bandaged on Toni. A quick glance down at himself found bandages covering his thighs all the way up to his hips and a few wrapped around his palms and soles of his feet. "P-plucki?" he tried, finding his voice felt just as heavy as the rest of him.

"Welcome back, Cubbi." The Captain said softly, "How are you feeling?"

He considered his answer, "Heavy?"

Gumlittle gave a light laugh, "Toni said the same thing, my boy."

The blue furred cub eyed his friend, "It'll fade in a few minutes Cubbi," he assured him. "But then you start to hurt again after a while."

Gumlittle gave his squire a look, "Did you not tell me that you were going to let me know when they started to hurt?" he asked, accusatory.

Toni pouted, his ears drooped, "I don't wanna go back to sleep yet and that medicine knocked me out cold last time." He eyed his wrapped feet "Plus, they only hurt a little bit. They aren't hurting a lot yet." He eyed his mentor who had reached for the medication bottle on the side table, "C'mon Gummie, please. I don't wanna go back to sleep just yet." He laid his head on Gumlittle's shoulder. "Please?"

Gumlittle shook his head, "Toni, if you delay it when it's beginning to hurt, the pain might climb beyond what we can control with a small dose. This isn't as powerful a dose as Sarrika gave you earlier. It will make you sleep eventually but not for a little bit. Now, come on, be a big boy and take it for me."

Toni attempted to be embarrassed at the wording but found that it was hardly worth the trouble. He hefted a heavy sigh but took it from his mentor and downed it on gulp. Immediately upon swallowing, he gagged, "That stuff tastes like melted chalk! Bleeg!" The child let his tongue hang out for a moment and was more than grateful when Gumlittle held him a glass of water which he wasted no time in drinking. Cubbi couldn't help a small giggle at Toni's face but quickly turned his attention back to Plucki,

"Sir Plucki…so…how bad are my legs?" he wasn't really sure he WANTED to know but he figured it was mature of him to ask. After all, a true knight was bound to become injured and it did little good to deny it. "And Toni's? They've…I've never had something hurt like that before." He never wanted to again. They still throbbed now but less, much less than before. He thought, perhaps, he should let Plucki know if what Gumlittle told Toni was any indication. However, he had a lot of questions! "And what time is it? How long were we out…"

Plucki ruffled the boy's hair gently, "One question at a time, my lad." He advised softly. "In answer, it's nearly dawn; both you and Toni were out for about five hours. As for your injuries, you both have second degree burns but they will heal. It will involve changing the bandages and apply salve at least twice a day but they will heal. Sarrika wishes for you both to remain her for at least a day then we can move you back to your rooms. No movement on these legs until they show signs of healing."

Toni pouted but didn't whine, "So, stuck in bed, huh?"

"Until the burns start to heal," Gumlittle remarked, gently nudging the boy's shoulder. "You boys were lucky. Burns can be serious and burns from melted candy can be horrific."

While the knight didn't mention it, both cubs could hear the unspoken question in his voice. Gum, what were Sir Plucki and Sir Gumlittle thinking? They had just been trying to do something nice and this happened! Cubbi felt a twisting in his gut at the thought that his dear favorite knight thought he had not learned from their last incident…he wasn't a foolish cub and he hadn't been breaking any rules! Both he and Toni had been super careful about that!

"We weren't playin' around with the stove, honest." Toni apparently was having the same thoughts as he was starting to babble as he jerked his face to stare directly into Gumlittle's. "We were trying to cook!"

Plucki frowned, raised a brow, "Does that not involve the stove, my boys?" Gum bless him though, there was no accusation, no anger in that tone. Just genuine inquiry. He didn't think their boys, as rambunctious as they could be, would disregard a safety rule so readily. One might think that to be foolish but Cubbi and Toni had been trying to "reearn" their trust ever since that botched trip to Bar in Germany. While they had assured them that the price for their error had been paid, the boys had finally grasped the importance of safety rules. As such, the idea that they would simple ignore one…it didn't make any sense.

Gumlittle spoke out, gently, but since the boys had brought it up, he felt it necessary to respond. Plus, now, the boys were coherent enough to answer some questions. "Are you not to use the stove alone?" Again, just like Plucki, he kept any accusatory tone from his voice. This was not the time to be lecturing, nor scolding. It rarely accomplished anything. Genuine communication and concern proved much better tactics most times. Much like his brother though, Gumlittle didn't believe the two would dismiss a safety measure so readily. Not after what had happened last time. The two of them could be troublesome yes but when lessons were learned, they were not easily forgotten. It was a remarkable and admirable trait in these two. Last time, the lesson had INDEED been learned. The boys had been trying to make up for it for months though they'd been told there was not a need. They would not have haphazardly shoved a rule aside like that. He _knew_ it!

"We weren't," Cubbi spoke out simply, "We know that. Sir Quimbi was watching us."

Silence followed and Plucki and his second glanced at one another. Shock was displayed in their eyes and with good reason. They had not seen Sir Quimbi anywhere in the vicinity but they had no reason to doubt their squires' words. The desperation and sincerity was heard in those young voices. Still, why had Quimbi not begun to tend to the wounds before they got there? How had the boys been allowed to handle something so dangerously hot? Where in Gum's earth and heaven had he been when their children had been so horrifically scalded?!

Shock was gradually giving way to anger. Not at their children though. No, it seemed their boys were maturing. Their gut instincts had been on point—the boys had followed every single direction they had been previously given regarding the kitchen and stove. That meant the blame lay on another. On one that should KNOW better! Quimbi wasn't brand new out of training and he had been skilled enough to be anointed yellow rank when he was first knighted. To leave two cubs completely unsupervised when they had possessed enough forethought to ASK for it was completely unacceptable!

Neither adult had any answers right now and despite wanting to know more and to know NOW, it wasn't the time. They would need to speak to Quimbi and oh, did they mean to speak with him! However, for the moment, they could settle their cubs and allow the healing to begin. Toni would fight the medication a bit longer but sleep would come back to him soon. With such injuries, sleep was their best defense. Plucki eyed the boy in his lap. He was wincing, ever so slightly,

"Do you hurt, Cubbi?"

Shaking his head, the boy responded, "It's not that bad."

"Cubbi," Plucki's voice was stern, "I didn't ask how bad it was, I asked if it hurt at all. Don't try to lie to me," he warned.  
"Not trying to…" Cubbi protested.

Rolling his eyes, Plucki rubbed the boy's back a bit, saying, "You know I don't approve of lying, Cubbi. It's unbecoming of a knight. What is supposed to come from a knight's tongue?"

Pouting at being caught (though how could anyone blame him, given the situation) Cubbi obediently repeated the beginning of the knight's mantra, "A knight's tongue speaks only truth, his heart beats only for right."

Still gently rubbing the boy's back, Plucki inquired, "Then why are you fretting so much? You're hurt. The medicine helps the pain but it's also going to make you sleep. That's fine."

Cubbi lowered his ears but he gave a simple nod to the knight's inquiry, "It's starting to hurt."

Plucki reached over and removed the glass from the side table. He filled it halfway with the murky white substance and handed it to the boy. Cubbi drank it quickly and while he made just as horrible a face as Toni had, he said nothing. Still trying to be the 'tough' guy. That was something they needed to work on.

Cubbi gagged down the medicine, never taking his eyes off Plucki; he knew he was being silly but… "You're not mad?"

A bit taken aback, the knight replied, "Why would I be mad, Cubbi?"

"Well…we kinda wrecked the kitchen…and didn't even achieve what we wanted to." He sighed, his eyes down. All this pain, humiliation…and for what? Nothing…

"Cubbi, if Sir Quimbi agreed to observe you as you cooked and he left you alone, you did nothing wrong. If anything, Sir Quimbi is to blame and I will be addressing it with him, be sure of that." Plucki reassured the boy, giving him one of his warm smiles. He saw a faint look of relief cross the boy's face but there was still deep rooted disappointment in those eyes. "What were you trying to achieve, Cubbi?" came the simple inquiry as the knight kept up his rhythmic rubbing. It was starting to work but Gum as his witness this boy was so pig-headed sometimes! The Gummadoon leader swore he inherited some of that willfulness from the Glen leader or perhaps Grammi as well…somehow. It had served him well and would make for a strong fighter but right now, he needed to stop trying to be a fighter and be a child! He nearly gave a sigh of relief when the boy stopped trying to shake his head awake and let his eyes begin to droop.

Cubbi felt a strong desire to sleep, not just from the medication but so he wouldn't have to reply. Knowing that they weren't being blamed helped but he didn't want Quimbi in trouble either and there was also the fact that there was no surprise anymore. However, he knew Plucki well enough that if he did fall asleep, the Captain would just ask him again when he awoke. Least his legs weren't throbbing quite some much anymore. Quick acting stuff whatever that gross drink was. So, just to prevent from having to ponder it, he replied, "You and Gumlittle have been super-busy lately and we both know you two don't love all of it. Know you're used to it but…" he frowned; it was getting harder to focus. "I got used to picking gummiberries but that didn't mean the stupid branches pricking me didn't hurt."

A gentle rumble from Plucki and a gentle stroke on his ear told Cubbi to continue.

"So, we wanted to make you two something for when you came out all tired and stuff. Gumbi said you always like a late snack if you have to do paperwork and stuff so…we…were making a cake." Sadness flooded Cubbi's chest again at their utter failure and he buried his face into Plucki's chest.

Plucki and Gumlittle went quiet a moment before the Gummadoon Captain smiled and gave Cubbi a gentle squeeze, "Dear boy, I'm touched by your attempt." Cubbi's ears drooped and the Captain added, "I promise you, lad, once you are healed enough, we will find something very special to do together. Your attempt not succeeding was not your fault." A surge of anger rose in Plucki's chest at Quimbi again and he had to refocus his energy on Cubbi to still it, "There will be another time and I look forward to it. For now, rest. I know you like to be awake and active but rest is the best ally for healing your legs. We'll wake you with some breakfast in a few hours."

Cubbi eyed the knight, "Promise?"

"Promise, lad."

Cubbi relented, slid down to rest on the bed and relaxed. He was not ready for sleep just yet but if Plucki said rest was the best thing, then he was going to try.

Toni was still leaning on Gumlittle, fighting the sleep, though he had gone quiet which meant it wouldn't take too much longer. While Gumlittle stayed close and let the boy rest his head in his lap, he tried to get the cub as comfortable he could in the bed. He hoped that the observation period would be quick so that they could move the boys into their own rooms again. Regardless of what you tried to do, there was nothing quite as comfortable as your own bed. At least the two adults had finally gotten some answers.

Their little gathering was interrupted by a knock at the sick bay door. Plucki stood, slowly, easing Cubbi's head onto the bed and went to respond with Gumlittle slowly following. The two cubs, left on the cots, despite being nearly asleep (regardless of their protests) exchanged half looks. Who was coming to sick bay at five in the morning?

Quimbi was not expecting the two knights to answer the door. Sarrika must have been resting or working in the back. Seeing the two knights that he had been dreading confronting sent sweat erupting from his palms but he stayed firm. He tried to focus on what Sir Herbi had said—take this time to correct what had gone wrong. That was his personal mantra. He had come to check on the cubs and that was what he was going to do. As for facing his superiors, well, he was going to have to do that eventually any way…

"Captain…Sir Gumlittle…" he began but Gumlittle interrupted him.

"Quimbi, what in Gum's name were you thinking? Please tell me that we misunderstood the boys." He was keeping his voice steady but anyone could hear that it was spoken through clenched teeth. "Please tell me that you did NOT just leave them alone in the kitchen!" Gumlittle was struggling to keep his tone level. With what the boys had just told them, finding himself face to face with Quimbi lit the anger in his heart into a fully stoked blaze. Looking at him, knowing that he was the reason Toni was in so much pain…it was a struggle to keep his cool.

Biting his lower lip, Quimbi replied, softly, "Are they…alright?"

"They'll heal." Plucki's response was sharp and tense. His arms folded across his chest and his eyes narrowed. "Now, answer Gumlittle. This second."

Taking a heavy breath, Quimbi replied, "I…wish I could say otherwise Captain. I…did leave."

"You left them." Plucki closed his eyes a moment then when he opened them they were alight with fire. A fire few ever saw. The fire of unbridled rage. "Alone with boiling hot candy, alone with the stove at all, and you LEFT them?"

Head down, Quimbi began, "I—"  
"Look at us!" Gumlittle demanded, without a care to his volume level. "Don't speak to the ground, look at US."

Jerking his head upward, Quimbi took another shaky breath. Gumlittle and Plucki could be intimidating if they wanted to be and right now, they were. Their eyes were narrowed and their muscles tensed. Quimbi felt less than an inch tall but he could not blame them in the slightest. He had to tell them all of it, despite how he did not want to. He had to take responsibility. For ALL of it. "I…" Quimbi started again, "I…became…distracted." He explained. "Speaking with Kai, I…left. I…forgot about them."

Plucki exploded.

"Quimbi, you cannot FORGET about children! If you took on a responsibility to watch them, it remains until they are passed onto another! It does not go away!" Oh, Plucki was livid. His vision burned red. It would have been one thing if the knight had been called away for an emergency but to hear that he had FORGOTTEN about his charges. That was unacceptable, inexcusable. Reckless, unforgiveable!

"Y-yes, Sir, I—"

"Their feet and legs are burned. Deeply." Gumlittle countered, his exceptionally tall stature making Quimbi feel even smaller. "They were lucky! They will heal but—"

"I just spent the last few hours listening to a child scream in my ear," Plucki interrupted, "Screaming nothing. Just screaming. In too much pain to even form words!"

"Do you know what it feels like to hear a child howl, 'stop hurting me'?" Gumlittle hissed, his teeth firm against one another as he leaned forward a bit. Quimbi eased back, just a tad, but kept his feet planted firm.

"I..I do not but…"

"How many times have we told you the importance of focus, Sir Quimbi?" Plucki's voice was drenched with venom, his tone so sharp it nearly cracked the air. "How often have _I_ told you to reign in that distraction, to take note of what you're doing? HOW MANY?"

Quimbi visibly winced, "I…I cannot say, Captain. Q-quite a few."

"Your DUTY, especially when it comes to your fellow knights and squires, comes FIRST!" Plucki hissed, nearly grabbing Quimbi by the front of his shirt. "YOUR DUTY is to protect! You utterly FAILED in that duty!" Plucki was scarcely taking deep breaths now; he was on a roll of pure anger, "And for WHAT? Because you allowed your mind to wander? Because you were not DISCIPLINED enough to remember children need DEFENDING? Have you FORSAKEN the VOW you staked your LIFE ON?"

Within sick bay, Cubbi sat up, as did Toni at the raise of the nearby voices. Cubbi cocked his head, like a bird, listening and waiting. Blinking in shock, he turned to Toni, "Is…is that Plucki? And Gumlittle?"

The white haired squire, frowned, listening, "Y..yeah, I think so…why?" It seemed a stupid question because he had the same inquiry but he felt compelled to ask it just the same.

Concern washed over Cubbi's face, "That's…Plucki doesn't yell." He was fairly certain Gumlittle didn't either. However, as he waited, the terse voices and level of volume he had first heard was beginning to elevate. There was no question now. It was Plucki. And Gumlittle too.

And Plucki sounded mad! Like, really mad!

Cubbi had seen Plucki stressed. He'd seen him frustrated. Irritated.

But never angry, like really-truly angry!

At closer listen, Cubbi could faintly make out another voice, that was…

"Is that Quimbi?" Toni asked as he slid to the edge of his cot as Cubbi swung his legs over the edge in the same instance.

"Yeah, it is. I betcha he came to check on us." Cubbi remarked, pushing off and onto his feet. Instant pain cut through his thighs and shins but he bit it down, harshly though not without a yelp. No time to worry about pain now. Quimbi musta been coming to apologize and Plucki was mad. Plucki never got mad but if he was anything like the adults in the Glen…well, when cubs got hurt, adults could turn really stupid. He had thought Plucki didn't do that but if there was one thing Cubbi was realizing, it was that knights, even knights like Plucki, made mistakes too. Quimbi had made one, made sense that other knights could do it too.

"Wait for me," Toni demanded. "I'm comin'!"Jumping down, he fell to his knees, biting his tongue both figuratively and literally at the pain that coursed through his body. Red hot pain just erupting from his feet. He let the tears flow down his face and welcomed Cubbi's arm pulling him up some. He shifted some of his weight to his toes, where less burns were. It still hurt and it made him look like some kind of dainty dancer but it allowed him enough control to walk, somewhat.

For Cubbi, each step hurt…a lot. While the pain didn't originate in his feet, it did circulate through all his major leg muscles. Each step down sent burning hot nerves screaming at him. However, he refused to sit back down. He needed to get to Plucki. He wasn't mad at Quimbi. He didn't want anyone else to be either. It didn't help his legs much to have Toni leaning on him but if he didn't, the poor cub would just screech and be unable to move. That was worse. So, the two crippled boys made their way towards the front of sick bay, slowly.

It wasn't too far, thankfully and the closer they got, the louder their mentors got.

"…IRRESPONSIBLE!"

Cubbi and Toni took the brief pause (poor Quimbi looked like he wanted to vanish into the ground) to approach. Jumping from behind as much as they were able to, the two cubs cut in between the group of three, placing themselves in front of Quimbi. If they hadn't had been so focused on intervening, they surely would have caught the haunted look when the younger knight caught sight of their bandages but they were focused on other matters at the moment. Matters which involved latching onto their mentor's waists, pleading, "Stop! Stop yelling at him!"

"Cubbi!"

"Toni!"

With their attention divided, one would have thought poor Quimbi would make a swift exit. He did not. He stood firm, tall, if shaking a bit. Gum, look at all those bandages. What had he done? What had he done? Those poor cubs…he could only imagine the kind of pain that created but yet, they were rushing to HIS defense? His heart fell further into his stomach, if that was even possible. Despite that, he couldn't find words not matter how he strived. His throat came up completely dry. All he could do was watch.

"Cubbi!" Plucki knelt down and lifted the cub into his arms, though he was as careful as he could be on the boy's burns. Gum, too much pressure on those burns could rip them open. Or split the blisters. Wasn't the boy listening when he explained the need to keep still? To stay in bed? To let the healing begin? Plucki's mindless anger gave way to fear and concern in the space of a second and he hoisted the cub to his hip, gently, looking him directly in the face. A face that was wet with tears and pleading, begging eyes.

"Sir Plucki, please!" the child implored. "Stop yelling!"

Toni, who Gumlittle had wasted no time in snatching up from the floor much like his brother had with Cubbi, joined in the pink child's begging. "You're all actin' like Quimbi threw the candy on us! He didn't! So stop acting like he was trying to murder us or somethin'."

The two adults eyed Quimbi, saying sternly, "Wait here."

Quimbi gave a simple nod as the two elder gummies carried the cubs back towards the beds. "Cubbi," Plucki began, "You can't just dart around like that." He gently set the cub back on the bed, laying on hand in his hair, "Your burns may be tended to but they can still tear and be opened if you are too rough—"

"Sorry," the cub replied simply and he meant it, "But I hadda make you stop yelling."

"Yeah," Toni added, as Gumlittle deposited him back on his own bed, after giving his feet a small look over to ensure no blisters had burst, "You two were starting to look really scary!" he accused, narrowing his eyes at his mentor. Scary was an understatement.

The two adult gummies took deep breaths, "Boys, we appreciate the concern but his actions have to be addressed." Both of them knew that Quimbi was well-liked among the cubs and that was indeed an admirable trait. However, such negligence could not simply be pushed under the rug.

Cubbi stood up on the bed, despite the aches and looked Plucki right in the eyes, "Then talk to him later. After you guys sleep or something…"

"Cubbi…" Plucki tried to soften his voice, even though his blood was still racing but it seemed his squire had other ideas.

The pink cub shook his head firmly, "Nu uh." He protested. "Promise me, Sir Plucki. Promise me that you'll talk to him later 'bout it, not now." It was rare Cubbi stood up to Plucki like this but this was important and knights defended each other and that was what he was doing! "Promise me!"

Cocking a brow, Plucki blinked a little when Cubbi reached up and tapped on his left temple, "You have this vein that pops out of your head when you're yelling. Never noticed it before but that always means people are really mad. Gruffi had two, one here," he pointed right above his left eye "and one here." He pointed to his right side of the neck, right under the jaw bone. "And when he said stuff when those things were popping out, he always said stuff he had to apologize for later." The boy spoke calmly, but with conviction. "So, promise me! Not while you're mad! No decisions with you this mad! Talk to Quimbi later, not now."

Called out, Plucki found he had to take a moment to gauge himself. The cub was right. His breathing was quick, his pulse racing, his vision blurred. His jaw was beginning to hurt from clenching his teeth so tightly. Cubbi was right. He was angry, abnormally angry. He had…let himself lose control. Not something that routinely happened. Shamed a bit, he gave the small cub a look and gently ruffled his hair. Chancing a look across the room to the entryway, he found Sir Quimbi still standing there, stock-still, head down, as if he were a naughty cub caught out after curfew. Every so often he would glance up at the cubs, absolute utter guilt in his face.

"Sir Quimbi," the golden furred gummi called, his voice significantly calmer and he gestured the knight in.

With heavy footfalls, the younger gummi complied, stepping into the room, stopping just before the two beds.

"Sir Quimbi," Plucki began after a moment, "My apologies. Young Cubbi, young Toni…they are right." He exchanged a look with Gumlittle to ensure he would not argue, "We _are_ too angry right now. Rest assured, we need to address this topic but…I cannot be fair right now. Retire to your chambers, get some rest. After some time, Sir Gumlittle and I will discuss this with you…when both of us can be significantly calmer." Despite still feeling angry, Plucki felt some reassurance from Cubbi when the small child gave him a firm embrace. He returned it, slowly. "And rest your heart, Quimbi, the cubs will recover. If they remember to rest and stay in bed."

Toni eyed his mentor then Sir Plucki, "Guess you two will hafta entertain us, huh?"

His mentor simply rolled his eyes and Quimbi, before doing as told, knelt to the cubs' level, "Cubbi, Toni…" he started, caught his throat when it gave a little, "I…have no excuse. I made you a promise, a vow to keep you safe, to make sure no harm came to you and I failed at it." He bit his lower lip but continued, "I have no reasoning for it, aside from my own incompetence."

"In-what?" Toni interrupted.

Allowing a half smile to grace his face, Quimbi clarified, "I did stupid."

"Oh." Toni eyed the knight and said, "I don't think you did stupid. You started doing something else…happens to me all the time."

"Perhaps," Quimbi agreed "But it's different when you have someone's life or safety in your hands. You cannot afford to falter, much as it may seem such a small deal." He reached out, cupped Cubbi's chin, "Thank you, both of you, for standing up for me but I must agree with your mentors. I have no excuse, no reason. I failed in what I promised to do and it cost you two greatly."

Cubbi frowned, "But Quimbi, you didn't pour the chocolate on us. We're the ones that dropped it."

The knight sighed, "But it was because you didn't have help with you. I cleaned up the kitchen, boys. That glass tray shattered because you put cold with hot. If I had been there, I could have warned you about that."

"Hot and cold can do that?" Toni inquired, his eyes huge, "That's neato!"

Gumlittle chuckled at the cub's enthusiasm, "You would be surprised what science can do, my boy. But let Quimbi finish." He was still quite steamed but given what the knight had said thus far, he had no arguments. He kept quiet and gave a nod to the younger knight to continue.

Taking another breath, Quimbi went on, "It's not like it's something I haven't been warned about before, boys. They've been telling me the dangers of my wandering mind since I was your age." Shaking his head at his own error, again, he added, "I refused to listen. I saw it as them being paranoid or blowing things out of proportion. I was certain I was not that bad!" Heaving a released breath of disappointment, he amended, "But I was wrong. I never HAD to face what my wandering, what my inattention could do. Now…now I see it."

Looking up a moment, he locked eyes with first Cubbi then Toni, "I will make this right, I swear it. I don't have the right to ask your forgiveness but I will anyway. Please…"

Cubbi snorted a little, "You adults are so weird! 'Course we forgive you. You screwed up…"

"But it's not like we haven't done that," Toni added. "Make us a cake when we're allowed to eat it and we'll call it even." Man, he hated it when adults got all mushy.

Quimbi stared at them for a long moment, "Truly?"

Cubbi rolled his eyes again, "Yeah! You didn't mean to. Stupid for us to stay mad about it."

"I will make this up to you, I swear it. On my honor." He stepped forward and cautiously, took the two cubs in an embrace. Toni eyed Cubbi over Quimbi's shoulder and the pink cub just mouthed 'go with it.' So, despite not truly understanding why Quimbi was so upset nor why his mentor had been screeching like some kind of banshee a few minutes ago (they were just burns!), he allowed the knight to squeeze him but he was also grateful when he released them both. Upon settling them back on the bed, Quimbi addressed his two superiors,

"Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle. I _MUST_ get this attention issue under control. I…see why now, though I hate it took something so severe…" he trailed off, then reiterated, "I…don't know how though." Gum, that was hard to say, especially to your boss!

The room was quiet a long moment before Sir Plucki responded, "Your devotion is commendable, Sir Quimbi." He said softly. His anger had cooled somewhat, seeing Quimbi's plea to their children. Seeing Cubbi smile, forgive so easily made his heart swell with pride and when there was pride, there was not a lot of room left for anger and fear. "Gumlittle and I will discuss it but perhaps some time with Sir Ramsei will be beneficial. He was quite proficient in helping Sir Rudi establish discipline." Truthfully, Plucki was saying this as a test. To see Quimbi's response. It was not unknown, especially among the younger knights, that Ramsei was the least liked mainly due to his hard nature. If Quimbi was serious…

Almost instanteously, Quimbi responded, still on his knees, "Yes! Yes! I will accept anything! Please, Captain. If you feel it will help…"

Plucki raised a hand, "It's a possibility but I promised young Cubbi I would not be rash right now. While I am relieved at your sincerity, my heart still holds anger. I'll make a final decision tomorrow. We'll talk then, alright, Quimbi?"

Standing to his feet when Plucki gave the gesture it was alright to do so, Quimbi gave a half bow, "Understood Sir."

"Now, go get some rest." Plucki said simply.

The knight padded away down the hall and the two knights turned their attention back to their charges, "Thank you, boys."

Taken by surprise, the two cubs blinked, "Huh?" cubbi finally asked.

"It takes much courage," Plucki told him with a paternal smile, "to tell an adult they're in the wrong. And we most certainly were."

Cubbi frowned, eyed his mentor, "Well, I…you tol' me a long time ago Sir Plucki that decisions should only be made when you've thought 'em through. I know from Gruffi that when you get mad like that, you don't do a lot of thinking…"

Gumlittle gave a small laugh, "You're much wiser than most cubs your age, Cubbi. You as well, Toni…even if your listening skills leave much to be desired."

Toni gave a snort through his nose, "Hadda get your attention somehow…'sides, they don't hurt that bad."

"Don't start that again."

 _Gummadoon Sick Bay, The Next Day_

"Hey, Sir Plucki?" Cubbi inquired from his Captain with a wince as the gummi applied that nasty salve onto his burns. When he had unwrapped them, Cubbi had to admit, the burns really DID look nasty. They still hurt sometimes, mainly when the pain medication wore off and when they had to do THIS. But overall, they were feeling better. And Sarrika even said they would get to go back to their rooms tonight! However, something had been bugging Cubbi for a while, now that he had the time to think about it.

"Yes?" The Captain asked simply, wrapping gently around the damaged flesh and fur.

"Didn't you have guests from Gumshire here? The knights?"

"We do." Plucki replied simply.

"Well…don't you hafta meet with them and stuff?" He didn't want to sound ungrateful but he knew how important it was…

"Are you sick of me already?" The Captain teased gently. Cubbi shook his head,

"Nu uh. This is great! I love having you here. Makes me feel…better." That was no lie. Plucki had not left his side since Cubbi could recall except for a brief half hour period around ten AM to delegate some knights to do this or that. During that time, Sir Quimbi had shown up! Oh, it was great to see him but if he didn't stop apologizing, the young trainee was going to slap him. Still, he came bearing penance, at least that was what he said…whatever that meant. He told Cubbi that apparently while he and Toni had been sleeping, he and Plucki had agreed on a suitable punishment (so much for him getting sleep!) He wouldn't elaborate on it just said it was just, it was fair and it was going to help him mind his attention better.

When he had been awoken for breakfast (just like Plucki promised) the knight was there, helping him to steady his hands. When he had to go relieve himself, the knight was there, getting him settled and even turning his back to save him SOME shred of dignity, and when Cubbi was awake…it had been great! Plucki had told him stories, they had read together and the Captain had even taught him some new games you did with dice and cards that he hadn't known. Plucki had said after lunch he would teach him some chess (which was an ADULT game!) if Cubbi would agree to sleep some and let his burns heal a bit more. Well, you better believe Cubbi had agreed to that really quick!

"They're still here." Plucki told the cub, smiling. "Sir Blastus is handling them."

Staring, Cubbi asked, "But…I thought…"

"I have more important things right now." Plucki assured the cub, shifting to sit next to him, "Like a cub who I believe promised me a game of knight battlefield, correct? I do recall you stating I could be the red knight, right? I can retrieve the toys from your room."

With a grin that could have split his face, Cubbi gave a sly grin, "No need, Sir Plucki." Reaching over to the small table, he pointed under his bed. The knight looked down and found a large woven basket, absolutely packed to the brim with knight toys—tiny gummi knight figures, horses, little accessories, small weaponry, everything! There had to be at least 30 different figures in that basket. At closer glance, Plucki saw a similar basket under Toni's bed. Lifting his head up, he eyed his squire as he knew for a fact that NONE of those toys had previously been in Cubbi's room. They were brand new.

"And where, pray tell, did all these come from?" He asked, as he lifted the basket onto the bed, being mindful of Cubbi's legs.

With a cheeky grin, Cubbi responded, "Sir Quimbi gave them to me." He dug through the basket, then eyed his mentor and giggled, "He said the rest of them would be waiting for me in my room."

"Oh, Gum..."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Knights' Garden

 **TIME FRAME: This is Cubbi's first winter in Gummadoon so he is 10.**

Keeping up with Sir Plucki was generally easier than keeping up with other adults as the Captain tended to walk slower around the cubs. He was well used to children and as such, he tended to maintain a reasonable pace. When Cubbi had first started training, he had thought that the cubs could easily outrun the adults, despite them being older. He'd been talking to the other boys about it, referencing the many times he had left the adults of the Glen in the dust. Martinni had reminded him, with a little bit of a "know-it-all" smirk that the glen adults were hardly trained knights like in Gummadoon. While Cubbi could agree with that, he had not stopped to think about what that meant in context of the adults he interacted with now. So, being a naturally curious cub, he had approached Sir Plucki about it.

The wise Captain had smirked, given the boy a quirk of the brow and stated that while Cubbi was right to know his youth and energy gave him an advantage there was also an advantage to being older and more experienced. While Cubbi had not argued it, the Captain seemed able to sense something and had asked if Cubbi thought he could outrun him. While Cubbi had denied such a thought at first, he did admit that he thought cubs were faster. He backed up his claim by stating that children seemed to have more energy and endurance.

Plucki had praised him for his evidence.

Then proceeded to outmaneuver him in a simple game of chase that still had Cubbi winded.

Yet, with it over, Plucki had not brought up his victory, simply asked Cubbi what he had seen, had learned. Well, one thing was for certain and that was that Sir Plucki could move faster than Cubbi's eyes could see. He could maneuver silently, quietly. Cubbi had commented such and Plucki had simply asked him how he think he learned to do that. Cubbi, unsure, had asked if knights went through some kind of rigorous training regime as they got older. The knight had given a small smile, saying, "Just growing up."

Needless to say, Cubbi had found himself dumbfounded, saying "No way! There's no way you just …become like that!"

To which, Plucki had responded, "Not overnight. But with time, with experience, with interactions with others, learning their skills, their weaknesses, THAT is what makes for a well-rounded knight."

Cubbi had taken such news to heart!

In this case, Cubbi still found he had to take three steps for each of the Captain's. But Plucki never pulled so far ahead he couldn't keep up.

But Cubbi had to ask, "Where are we going, Sir Plucki?" They had been having quite the day. Just a few days ago, Sir Plucki had joined him for Festival of the First Snow in Gummi Glen. He'd never thought about other gummies (at least gummies that were non-Barbic) not celebrating the same holidays but Plucki had told him that they had no such holiday in Gummadoon. Astounded, Cubbi had asked why. One great thing about Plucki; he welcomed all questions! The wise Captain had responded:

 _"_ _Well, tell me, lad. Who fought this giant foe?"_

 _Frowning, Cubbi replied, "Well, the Ancients…"_

 _Laughing, Plucki responded, "We need to come up with a better term for your ancestors, Cubbi. _I_ was born in the same generation as some of them! It makes me feel old!" The pink cub covered his muzzle and giggled at the knight's odd look. Plucki was a lot of things but old certainly was not one of them! An old gummi could not keep up with him and an old gummi most certainly could not grab him and toss him over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes without breaking a sweat. Both of which Plucki did on a regular basis, strictly because it made Cubbi laugh. So back to that inquiry…_

 _"_ _Sorry, Sir Plucki. That's what Gruffi always called them…anyway, I guess…well, the old gummies that lived in the Glen."He shrugged, "Some of them had names but I dunno a lot of them."_

 _Nodding, Plucki replied, "Exactly, it was a victory solely for your den. You'll find that while there are some holidays that all gummies celebrate, there are just as many that only certain clans or even certain dens take part in."_

 _Cubbi had never thought about it but now that Plucki brought it up. "Oh, you mean like how the Barbics have a Test of Bearhood and we don't?" he inquired._

 _"_ _That's an excellent point, lad." Plucki praised, added, "And just like there are holidays the Barbics have that we don't, so we have some holidays that other clans don't. Like this "Festival of the First Snow" you mentioned. Do you think you could share it with me?"_

 _"_ _Really?"_

Plucki had surprised him by taking the day that the first snow fall came to venture to the Glen and share in HIS holiday! Cubbi had loved showing Plucki around the Glen; he mentioned some gummies from the Glen that were famous! Cubbi had heard about some of them, like Chummi had told him about Sir Plummi but Sir Plucki had actually KNOWN the knight! Oh, Cubbi had yakked his ear off about that and then…then one of the older women gummies from New Gumbrea had approached, asking to thank Plucki and it had turned out she had been one of the cubs that Plucki had saved when the Ancients were fleeing! THEN, with the other gummies now helping Grammi in the kitchen, the food had been glorious and THEN he had won the games despite there being so many new cubs…

Easily the best Festival of the First Snow EVER!

Now, the other Cubs were all excited for a Gummadoon holiday, called Night of the Frozen Gummiberries. Cubbi had never heard of it but they assured him it was not to be missed! He knew it involved a huge feast, lots of games in the snow and presents! Not just one present but LOTS of presents and you got to go hunt for them! It was also known as 'spoil your cub' holiday apparently! Plucki had blown him away with his first birthday here, with these beautifully crafted knight toys plus some detailed statues that he proudly displayed under the wooden plaques from Gruffi. What else could he do?!

Well, the Captain sure wasn't giving away any hints! As they made their way across the stone courtyard, the golden furred gummi never gave him an answer to his inquiry about their destination, just chuckled and kept walking. Earlier, he asked him if he was interested in helping them prepare for the holiday in the main hall to which, of course, the cub had agreed. Sir Plucki and he had been spending some extra time together, helping prepare decorations and all sorts of fun things and now it was closer enough that they could actually start putting the neat streamers and banners up. These decorations were different from the celebration materials that Cubbi knew, being made of all kinds of different colors and material. Some of them had been made out of silk and Cubbi's eyes had bulged at that. Silk was a rarity and they were using it for decorations?!

Better than that though, the cub had gotten a look at a squire dress uniform which his mentor told him that he would be proudly displaying when the festivities began. Oh, Cubbi was excited! His regular uniform was great as it was but a dress uniform?! Plucki promised they would be picking it up sometime tomorrow before the feasting began! Oh, would tomorrow not come fast enough? There was so much Cubbi wanted to know and while Plucki always was glad to answer questions, he was also quite fond of "you'll have to wait and see."

That led them to their current walk. While they had been hanging the last of a few colorful banners in the main hall, they had started discussing Cubbi's goals for the future. Cubbi had laughed and said he might want Plucki's job one day but then had quickly amended that he didn't know how anyone could ever match him.

Plucki had stopped in thought a moment and then led him on this little journey. He had taken him up into the glass dome where the gummi berry harvest grew for Gummadoon, or at least the major harvest. There were a few glass domes were they kept gummiberry bushes but this was the major one. Cubbi had known it was there but aside from seeing it briefly, he'd never really explored it. He'd lived with the bushes all his lfie after all! Gummadoon had all kinds of NEW things to explore!

However, Plucki led him through the large bushes and out of the glass room into the flat stone courtyard woven around it. It looked to be a huge stone patio but with trees and flowers (or looked like there would be some at the right time of year) and small fountains. At closer glance, Cubbi could see slopes and rope swings. It was like it was meant for kids and adults. Right now, a light coating of snow and ice covered all of it. Peaceful, almost serene. They headed up some short steps into a circular garden a little bit elevated above the greenhouse. You could see into the glass windows of the gummi berry fields but the circular garden up here was made of stones. Lots and lots of different shaped and colored stones everywhere! Occasionally, there were small fountains but above all else, there were stones, elaborately carved stones decorating every path way!

Plucki finally answered his original inquiry about their destination, "I thought it might be time to finally show you the Knights' Garden."

Cubbi blinked, looking about a moment more, "A Knights Garden? You mean only Knights come here?" He didn't know there were places in Gummadoon that only knights could go…well, aside from the weapons' room and stuff. What was so special about…

Shaking his head, the Captain continued along the path, their boots making gentle clops as they kept a steady pace, "No, though we are mostly the ones that come up here. It's a place to reflect, to remember and to enjoy the things we have fought for." The Captain smiled, his own eyes reflecting a dip into the past as he explained. "The sound of children playing below tends to ease the pain of past battles and the presence of nature," he gestured to the small plants and water flowing about the place, "sooths the spirit."

Cubbi nodded though confusion painted his face, "But...I mean, you can do that in a lot of places. You could do that in the forest or in one of the flower gardens. Why choose here to be a Knights' Garden?" Weird name too. He'd never heard of a garden made of rocks! Even if they were really pretty rocks, he guessed. They were all kinds of colors and arranged in rows and patterns and some of them even seemed to have small colored pebbles lining the edge. It was like some kind of weird art project. Gusto would have probably found it fascinating but it seemed…well, an odd thing for something called a "Knights' Garden." Where was the knight in it?

Sir Plucki gave his squire a gentle smirk then shifted his eyes down to the pathways, still silent. Cubbi swiftly looked down, following the Captain's glance. To his surprise, the rocks he had been walking over (heck, the rocks that were making up this whole garden) were not just any rocks! And he didn't just mean in color. He'd assumed the stones were just multicolored or decoarated but there was much more to them than that! Each brick was wide enough he could fit both feet in it! Looking around quickly, he saw that all the stones were like that…wide and square. The ywere arranged in different patterns, different angles but all, about, the same size. But more than that, each one was polished and smooth.

And held a pair of handprints in them!

Curiosity spiked, Cubbi knelt down and instantly investigated the one he had been standing on, jumping back a little so he could read it better. He had enough trouble reading already, no need to complicate it but luckily, this was fairly straight forward-Muliri, Age 15, 678, it read.

Looking up at Plucki, he asked "Is Muliri a knight?" He'd heard a lot of knights' names passed around but that one was new.

Nodding, Plucki knelt beside his squire and pointed around the stone Cubbi had been frequenting. "Yes, he is retired now but yes. If you see here" he pointed about seven stones down and Cubbi could see "Muliri, Age 7, 671," etched into a pure white stone that stuck out among the different colored ones. Actually, now that he looked around, there were white stones scattered all over the place. Cubbi's inquisitive eyes asked the question without his mouth needing to.

Plucki smiled "That was when he began training. Can you tell me, lad, what does the stone say three down from where we started?"

Cubbi followed the path of stones and quickly spied the one that Plucki was referencing. It was a different color, but not white. It was a weird mix of colors, almost green and yellows mixed together and had fancy designs around the edges. He read it out loud "October 2 681, Sir Muliri, Age 18." Cubbi quickly added, "This one was done when he was knighted, huh?" He beamed, looking at the large handprints that took up the majority of the stone. Big difference from the small prints that had been in that white one!

As Plucki nodded an affirmative to the boy's inquiry, Cubbi was rushing ahead, reading names aloud to himself and as all cubs tended to do, he was fitting his hands into the handprints of Knights long past. He would giggle at how big or little some of them were. He had stopped at a path of red stones when Plucki caught up to him and gave a light chuckle. The young child turned, his eyes inquiring.

"Do you know who this knight is Cubbi?" he inquired, pointing to the name carved into the bright red stone.

Frowning, Cubbi shook his head, "Nu uh, Valei? Who's that?"

Smiling with memory and pride, the Captain responded, "My mentor."

Eyes wide at such a thought, Cubbi blinked once and then twice, mouth slightly ajar. Plucki couldn't help a deep hearted laugh, "Cubbi, did you think I was a knight my whole life? I had to learn and train, just as you are!" He thumbed the boy's nose, "Valei was at my side since I entered training at six."

Cubbi eyed the Captain, "Where is he now?"

"Retired." Plucki responded and Cubbi giggled. No, not just giggled, he was covering his mouth and trying not to fall over! Now it was Plucki's turn to inquire, "Oh, what's so funny about that, may I ask?"

"Did you drive him to retire, Plucki?" he asked, grinning. The idea of his Captain being a cub was oh so fascinating and he had to wonder if Plucki ever got into trouble like he did. When Plucki said his mentor was retired, he just had this mental image of a young Plucki, looking very similar to him, causing just as much havoc as he was known for! Giving his mentor a teasing grin, he yelped and jumped to his feet as soon as he saw that wide grin take Plucki's face but one did not become a Captain by being slow!

Plucki pulled the cub to him suddenly, sitting on the ground and hoisting the cub into his lap, running his fingers briefly over the cub's ribs, making a sharp squeal cut from the boy's throat, "Are you insinuating that your Captain was a troublemaker, imp?" He joked as he relished in the sound of the boy's giggles and screeches. Nothing was more pleasing to him than a child's laughter and that no child's laughter pleased him more than Cubbi's.

Screeching out a giggle, Cubbi squirmed, shaking his head, saying "Nu uh, I don't even know what that means!"

That seemed to satisfy the Captain after a moment and he released his captive, who turned to Plucki, snorting, "That's cheating."

"All's fair in love and war." The Captain replied, letting the cub catch his breath "But, you were partially right, Cubbi. I was Valei's last trainee. He retired after I made knighthood."

"Oh." Frowning, Cubbi inquired, "So…you ever see him?"

"Occasionally," the golden furred gummi replied. "He's a traveler but he still lives in Gummadoon. I'll arrange a time soon and we'll introduce you two." He ruffled the boy's hair affectionally. "Would you like that?"

Nodding with a big grin, Cubbi replied "I bet he's just as neat as you Plucki!" That was an understatement. The idea of meeting the gummi that trained his mentor, showed him how to be the great hero he was…Gum! It was mind-boggling! So many images, ideas swirled through Cubbi's mind but he fought to bring himself back to the present. He wasn't gonna meet the guy today!

Chuckling at the boy's unreserved idol-worship, Plucki turned his attention back to the garden, "Perhaps, but I find you just as "neat."" He paused a moment, glancing around, "But then, if you went over the stories of all our brothers in this garden, you would find so many unsung heroes, so many triumphs that don't receive the attention they deserve."

"You told me about some of them," Cubbi remembered, standing from his spot by Valei's stone and tiptoeing along, glancing over the names, "Like Sir Ulri and Sir Lici. And…who was the gummi knight that tried to tame the wild dragon?"

"Sir Armani," Plucki supplied, "Yes, his tale is a popular one."

"Did you know him too, Plucki?" Cubbi inquired, turning lightly on his feet to look at his teacher. Smiling, the Gummadoon Captain shook his head.

"I knew quite a few knights, lad but Sir Armani was before my time." Giving a wink, he stated, "But I'm sure Valei would be glad to talk to you about him."

"Really?!" Not only was this Valei Plucki's mentor (and he was still around!) but he KNEW the knight that had tried to tame a wild dragon?! Cubbi felt pretty certain that his brain was going to implode at any moment from the implications this carried!

"If you ask nicely, which you are quite good at doing." Plucki responded, falling into step beside the boy. Every couple of feet, he would stop and kneel, pressing his hands into the old handprints of squires long before him. It was a common practice of any cub that came here. He had done it himself when he was the boy's age, always laughing, just as Cubbi was doing now, whenever he found a pair that nearly fit his! He had learned so much about history by looking up those names.

Recognizing the area they had made their way into, Plucki allowed a slow smile to grace his face as Cubbi cried, "Look, Sir Plucki! Mine almost fit in these!" he declared, having slipped his palms into a dark blue stone nearly hidden under the thin layer of snow and ice.

Pausing and kneeling to the cub's level, the wise knight asked, softly, "Tell me, lad, what have you noticed?"

Blinking at the odd inquiry, Cubbi looked up, "Huh?"

"What's something you've noticed about all of these? I know you've been exploring them, seeing how your hands match up." He smiled, "Just like I used to do. So, what have you noticed about all of them?"

Cubbi nodded, thought then said, "Well, they all start at different ages, but there's a new one every year and..." He frowned. Plucki had a point to this, he knew it but he was baffled as to what it was.

Plucki, ever patient, asked "And do they start out strong and large?"

Cubbi shook his head, "Nu uh. They all start out small," he glanced down at the stone he currently was knelt over. These hands were just about his size! A lot of the others had been really small or really large but these looked like he had a twin of sorts. Not EXACTLY the same but pretty darn close!

Plucki nodded, saying, "Because even the greatest of legends, the strongest of fighters, we all start the same. As children." He locked eyes with the boy a moment then brushed away the snow on their current stone, where Cubbi's hands fit nearly to a T, still pressed into the stone as the boy sat on his knees.

Cubbi's mouth dropped open at the name unveiled: Plucki, age 10.

"T-this...these are your handprints when you were ten?" He demanded, "My age?"

"You're a sharp lad." Plucki praised as he stood, brushing the snow off his pants. Cubbi followed, though quivering a little. Him…the hands that had seemed to fit his so well had been Plucki's? "Yes, they are. I just thought you could use a reminder that I once was your age. You sometimes get caught up in the stories my boy. I was a lad that had to learn, to grow, just as you are." He ruffled the boy's hair softly "and if I can see anyone taking my place one day, it's you."

Oh Cubbi felt his heart would split. He felt like he was floating enough that he didn't even notice Plucki leading him to another section of the garden until they stopped. It looked like a newer part, not as many stone paths and the ones that were here were short. Curious, the cub looked downward again and blinked "Hey, that's what you took when you were measuring my hands! To get me gloves." He fell to his knees, where a shiny white stone that held HIS handprints when he joined Gummadoon a year ago. He'd thought that Plucki had taken his handprints because he had to…never thought he had them put in a stone…he was in a stone…just like all those other brave knights…just like Plucki was…and Valei…

With a chuckle, Plucki nodded. "It served its purpose so I opted to utilize them to start your own line. I like to surprise you cubs with it." Plucki again knelt to Cubbi's side, "Put your hands into them, Cubbi." He requested.

A bit confused, the cub nevertheless obeyed only to find they did not quite fit. His fingers slipped out of the top, just a bit. The cub blinked then smiled. Plucki's point was crystal clear and his heart filled with pride, "I'm already growing!"

"And you will continue to." Plucki smiled paternally. "And once a year, you and I will come here and add a new stone. But you'll have to tell me what color you want." With a playful tilt of the head at the cub, "Maybe we can make an appointment to do it tomorrow?"

Grinning, Cubbi stated, sure as ever, "Dark blue. Like yours Sir Plucki." He gave a cheeky grin "It's a good color for a future Captain don' cha think?"

Thumbing the cub's nose, he replied "A perfect shade, Captain Cubbi,"

Captain Cubbi...oh yeah, he could get used to that idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Tutoring Trials

 **TIME FRAME: Cubbi turned 10 one month prior.**

Cubbi looked up from his math work when Toni came back from Ivori's desk. The squires had a week break from tutoring coming up which suited him fine. He loved it when they had time to just train and be with their mentors. During their last break, the group of knights had taken them on a day trip to the ruins of the first Ursalia, before they moved it into the Northern Mountains!

Oh, so much history just laying in front of them and the knights had known so much of it! Exploring the first council chamber, looking through the old abandoned barracks...what kind of trip might they get this time? They'd been pestering and dropping hints that they might enjoy a trip to the shores, where big battles had been fought when the Ancients fled. Cubbi wondered how much of those hints the knights picked up on.

However, as the boys had learned by now, that also meant progress reports sent to their mentors. It was he universally dreaded moment even though most of their teachers had an idea of how they were doing in tutoring. For some reason, the actual fact of getting it in writing seemed to be nerve-wracking.

Oh, it could be anxiety producing in a good way or in a bad way. Good marks and progress were praised and rewarded, sometimes with sweets, sometimes with priviledges and for the younger of the boys, with toys. Bad performance was not necessarily punished, at least not severely, but the disappointment, the lack of reward, the lack of acknowledgement...that was the worst. And for those of them that had really stopped trying or just plain were making inexcusable failures, it meant they were not allowed to attend the fun trips coming up! Who wanted that?

So, the small room was very thick with tension as Ivori gave them time to get their homework done early and she called the boys up to her desk, one by one.

Corvi had been first and had returned with "excellent!" on all counts. Apparently Ivori had also written: "May be eligible for early knighthood in few years?" on Corvi's report. Corvi always got perfect marks. He also had an extra mark for "languages" which read "he should be teaching me!" As was also expected. Corvi never got bad performance reports.

Then Lucki had gone back. He'd returned with "great!" and "perfect!" on all his marks as well. He and Corvi were their resident geniuses. Even though Lucki had some adjustment to deal with, he was still plowing back into the routine with flying colors.

Then there was Toni. Cubbi glanced at his friend. The blue furred cub beamed and held out his marks, giving Cubbi a half punch to the shoulder with his enthusiasm. Most of them were written "good" "great with science" and he saw "improving" on history.

Grinning wider still, the blue furred cub reported,"Gummie's gonna let me get that toy I wanted now. My history went up." Oh, he had been begging for a few knight play toys for a while and Gumlittle wisely used it as a motivation. Now, he was going to get to collect the reward for it!

Cubbi nodded, glad for his friend but trying to ignore his own nerves. Plucki had made him a similar promise on his reading and writing. Cubbi had been really pushing himself, studying extra and asking Ivori for help when he needed it. He was certain it had paid off! Finally!

Flynn was called up next which threw Cubbi off. It seemed like Ivori had been calling them by age but no matter, it meant he had more time to finish this stupid sheet. That was all it was, there was no reason to think something was amiss. She probably wanted to give him more time to get his work done. Yes, that was probably it...

After about five minutes, Flynn came back, smiling. "Good" and "great" decorated his marks as well. The cub gave a laugh sigh of relief as he flopped down in his chair. Getting the report always took a load off the mind. The anticipation was the worst!

"Cubbi."

Getting up a bit faster than he intended, Cubbi quickly approached his tutor's desk, sitting when he was asked. Man, he would be bragging tonight! All those hours studying, asking Ivori for help with the reading and writing, having Plucki work with him before bed. It was annoying and he hated the extra time he had to spend with his nose in the books but he was going to have some prizes to reap for that hard work!

Or so he hoped but when he set his eyes on Ivori, his stomach dropped. She gave him a patient smile then slid his marks over to him. No small talk, no gentle teasing as she had given the other boys. She waited, silently, for him to read over them.

A sickening rock settled in the pit of his stomach. Without a word, he directed his eyes down to the small parchment in front of him.

 _Math-Great! Works quickly  
History-Excellent! One of my best students!  
Science-Good, thinks creatively!_

But Cubbi didn't see any of those. He just saw the last two

 _Reading/Writing-Cubbi is still struggling immensely here. He pays attention and is quick to ask for help but his progress is slow. Perhaps some additional private lessons? Please arrange a meeting for the three of us so we can discuss our options, Captain._

All Cubbi's nerves turned into heart sickness. His good mood plummeted. He was so sure he had been doing better! He was practicing every day! He asked Ivori for help each lesson! He...he couldn't still be struggling! He was doing everything he was 'posed to! He _was_ improving! Had to be!

Well, maybe that was what he told himself. It was still so hard! No matter what, it was hard! No matter how he tried, no matter how much he practiced, it was hard, remained hard and each time he had to read, it was a struggle.

Well, there went his thoughts of his knight toys. He'd not kept his part of the bargain. Good Gum, what was Plucki going to say? While the idea of not getting his promised toy was disappointing, he was far more concerned with having failed his mentor. Failed. Knights didn't fail...

"I-I've been trying Miss Ivori." He finally found his voice. The gummi woman deserved some type of explanation even if it was a horrible one. "Really, I have."

The gentle gummi lady smiled "I know you have Cubbi. Your determination has never lacked. You just might need a little extra help outside of tutoring hours..."

"So I'm stupid." He stated with a pout. There, he'd said it.

"No." Ivori's tone was stern. "You are not stupid Cubbi. Far from it. Everyone has something they struggle with. We just need to find the best way to help you. Now, I'll be following up with Plucki. We'll have a little sit down, the three of us and see what we can come up with, alright?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied solemnly. Great. So, instead of celebrating success with the other boys, he was to be resigned to discussing his failure in a private meeting. Discussing how he was not smart enough to grasp such a simple concept.

With his report done, that was the last of them and they were free to go so the other boys were quick to gather their knapsacks and make for the door. Cubbi went slower, sticking his work into the front pocket silently before following Toni out. Didn't even finish the simple math sheet either. Some student he was...

"How'd you do?" Toni asked as they headed for the door. The other boys waited, quietly as they approached before taking off at a fair pace for the palace.

Cubbi shrugged, he didn't want to talk about it.

Toni winced at his friend's face; didn't need to be a psychic to see the utter disappointment illuminating from it. "Reading's still kicking your butt?"

"I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" Cubbi didn't want to think about this anymore.

The other boys eyed him before Martinni asked, "You need to practice the reading a little more..." he began but Cubbi interrupted,

"I said I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" he snapped. Martinni was ALWAYS talking about-practice more, listen, you need to try. It was infuriating because he WAS trying. He didn't want to hear it AGAIN!

Toni eyed Martin, "Yeah, zip your yap, Martinni."

"I was just saying-"

"yeah, we know what you were saying," Toni snorted, "Stop saying it."

With that, everyone went quiet. They didn't press any further. They continued back toward the palace, with the majority of the other boys rushing ahead into the sitting room, greeting their mentors with laughs and being rewarded with some freshly prepared sweets!

Cubbi had no appetite. The sweets smelled good but he hadn't earned it. What right could he have to even ask for one? He took the back hall around the sitting room and the side stairs up a level. He couldn't face anyone right now. The failure of the squires...

Pushing open his bedroom door, he jerked in surprise when Sir Plucki greeted him from his desk. Sitting at the boy's desk chair, he turned around, smiling widely at his squire as he entered. Eyes so full of pride and joy.

"Welcome back Cubbi."

Cubbi gave no reply. Seeing all that pride and KNOWING he had done NOTHING to earn it...the cub flopped face down on his bed, throwing his knapsack onto the floor. He said nothing, what could he say?

The Gummadoon Captain's eyes softened at the boy's reaction, walked over and sat on the side of the bed, "Cubbi?" He asked simply, laying a hand on the cub's back.

"Stupid." The cub muttered into his pillow, "Hate learning!"

Now Plucki had suspected Cubbi might have wanted to talk to him about his marks in private, given how he tended to struggle, but seeing the cub so distressed broke his heart. "What happened, Cubbi?"

"What happened is that I'm still stupid!" Cubbi screeched though he did not raise his head, "Still can't read or write worth nothing! I study, I ask for help! Maybe I'm just dumb" That was just all there was to it, in Cubbi's mind. He was dumb.

Plucki stroked the boy's hair behind his ear, "Now, none of that. You're not dumb, my boy." He hardened his voice, "I don't want to hear that kind of talk from you."

"Sure seems like it." The cub responded. "All the other boys get 'good' or at least 'improving!' I get "maybe private lessons to help?" Cubbi bit his lip "How is that not dumb?!"

"Cubbi," the Captain answered gently, "What the others achieve or do not achieve has nothing to do with you. You learn on your level, your own pace, your own speed, and your own way." He gently jostled the boy to sit up "Now come now, lad. Show me what got you so upset. I guarantee that it is not as bad as you imagine."

"Doubt it." Cubbi replied but he relented and dug his marks from his bag, handing them to his captain before pulling his legs to his chest in a hug. He couldn't look, almost wanted to plug his ears but that would be rude. Besides, he had earned whatever lecture was coming his way.

Plucki looked silently a moment then said, "Cubbi, I only see reasons for praise."

Jerking his head, Cubbi blinked "Huh? How can you say that? Did you see my reading and stuff?"

"I did." Plucki replied. "I also see that you're trying, you're asking for help and I've seen you studying and practicing. It is not for lack of effort." He smiled gently, "Tell me something Cubbi. If I were to travel to France to try and establish an alliance with another gummi city, would you blame them if they misunderstood my intentions?"

Cubbi thought about this and shook his head "Uh uh."

"Why not?" His inquiry was patient.

Cubbi eyed his mentor "Well, they're French. They probably didn't understand you. You should send Blastus."

"Why?" He asked gently

"Cause Blastus speaks their language"

Plucki nodded "It is just the same with you, lad. Learning is a language. Many times a great many of us speak the same but every so often, one of us speaks a different tongue. So we just need to find the right tongue for you. That is all Ivori is saying. You have the determination, you have the smarts," Plucki pulled the cub into a strong side hug, "So we're all going to discuss what learning language you speak until we figure it out, okay?"

Cubbi had not considered that angle so after a moment, he nodded. The way Plucki phrased it, it made it sound all the more reachable. This idea that he wasn't stupid, he just didn't know the language they were speaking...that made a lot of sense and certainly made Cubbi feel a heckuva lot better! He COULD learn this. He WOULD learn this.

Plucki wasn't even mad!

"In the meantime, I know a young squire that at minimum has earned some sweets for these excellent marks. One of her best students, hmm?"


	8. Chapter 8

**TIME FRAME: Cubbi is one month shy of ten, after the conclusion of Bonds**

"Hey Plucki!"

The knight turned from his couch at the knock on his door and waved his squire in, though not without a laugh, as he placed his quill and parchment aside. "Cubbi, where are your nightclothes?" He rose as he made his inquiry, a soft chuckle still rumbling through his chest.

The pink furred cub was wrapped in a towel, still a little damp from an evening bath, loitering in the doorway to the Captain's quarters. Truthfully, Plucki didn't mind because unlike humans, gummies did not see the shame in the body but it was surprising nonetheless! Especially for Cubbi who was normally his bashful one regarding his body. A side effect of the pridefulness of boyhood, he surmised.

Cubbi pouted "Forgot to bring them with me and when I went and dug through my drawers, I didn't have none." He entered slowly at his mentor's invite, scowling lightly as the knight strode past him and to the door.

"Any." Plucki corrected gently. "You didn't have any. Why is that?" Letting the door shut with a soft click, he shifted his stance, turning around to the younger gummi with a bewildered if amused glance across his face.

Cubbi gave a deeper pout if that was possible, drooping his ears slightly. "Guess I shoulda checked to see if I had clean clothes this morning when Graci was going through gathering stuff for a load. I didn't," He truly hadn't thought about it to be frank. Much like the other boys, Cubbi had gotten into the habit of just throwing his dirty clothes into the corner rather than into a hamper. Normally, it wasn't an issue as he remembered to toss them into the hamper before Graci made her rounds at the end of the week but that morning, he had been so caught up in a task he was doing with Toni that it had slipped his mind. Graci, while a kind hearted gummi, also pushed responsibility would not go rummaging through the boys' rooms looking for dirty laundry. Hence the current predicament.

Plucki pulled the boy over to the couch and gently toweled the extra water from him before taking the cloth and commented, gently, "Ah, but this could have been avoided if someone had put his clothes where they belong instead of the on the floor, hmm?"

Scowling, Cubbi remarked "Yeah, I know, I know. Lesson learned. I was actually hoping maybe you could show me how to wash 'em myself." He knew how to make soap from living in the Glen but washing clothes was something else, especially since Gummadoon seemed to have a lot of different inventions than the Glen. All the same, much as he dreaded the thought of more work, it was the right thing to do, right?

Plucki was stunned and it must have showed on his face because the boy laughed.

"What? It's not Graci's fault I forgot to throw them in the stupid hamper. That's my fault. So I figure I should probably hafta wash 'em." He glanced down at himself "Well, if I can find anything to wear to go do that, anyway."

The Captain recovered after a moment and chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair, "Quite mature of you, my boy. I'd be glad to show you. Truthfully, it would be most helpful to Graci if you boys could do your own when you can, she has a lot of work on her shoulders already." Honestly, Graci had volunteered to grab the squires' clothes as a courtesy; it was not expected in her job duties. They had all just become spoiled on it.

Cubbi nodded. He was hardly one to like a lot of extra work (at least chore-wise anyway) but it WAS his fault and plus, look how proud Plucki was! It shone out from the adult's eyes and it made Cubbi's cheeks nearly burst with the grin he could not contain. Man, that was an awesome feeling, that pride! That in itself made the extra chores he was signing up for more than worth it! He eyed the elder gummi, remarked, "'Sides, when I went on that mission with Sir Gallant, he tol' me that knights gotta know how to do that weird household stuff anyway, like sewing. Right?"

Smiling, Plucki acknowledged, "Sir Gallant was quite wise. Yes, that is something you all need to know. We try to introduce it to you boys a little at a time. I suppose now is an excellent place to start." He paused, eyed Cubbi "Do you have a clean uniform for tomorrow, at least?"

Blushing slightly, Cubbi felt his pride droop a bit, "Uh…no?" That was ANOTHER reason he wanted to wash his clothes.

The Captain laughed, despite himself, shaking his head "My boy, how can you go through all your uniforms in under a week?"

Cubbi shrugged, though couldn't hide the shaky smile of relief at Plucki's reaction. "They get dirty easy, Plucki," he responded with a passionate yelp. "Especially when Toni and I go into the woods."

Raising a brow, the knight reminded him, leaning on the couch a bit, "You know, you CAN wear other clothes when you go play. You aren't expected to wear your uniform all the time, just the armband. You're only expected to be in full uniform for training and ceremonies."

Folding his arms, Cubbi protested "Aw, but I _like_ to wear it all the time. 'Sides, my clothes from the Glen are gettin' too small anyway." That was true. He had noticed it a few days ago but he also had to admit that he had seen some of the other clothes the cubs wore in Gummadoon and it made his seem…well, childish. He'd been wearing the same style of clothes since he was six. Now, as he approached his double digit birthday, he found that he wanted to change that up. Did that make him ungrateful though? He hoped not. He just wanted to feel at home in Gummadoon, like he had in the Glen.

Plucki gave the cub a slow smile "Well, growing boys tend to do that." He thumbed the cub's nose gently "Why not tell me? We'll have to get you some more play clothes." He eyed the boy "But for now, let me grab you a tunic and we can go wash what you have."

The boy nodded, wondering briefly as the Captain disappeared when did it get to the point where he wasn't embarrassed to be unclothed in front of him? He had used to care so much about making such a good impression. When had it become as natural to come to Plucki as he used to go to Grammi or Gruffi?

Plucki returned within a few minutes and tossed the boy one of his own under tunics; ever since the boy had worn it to bed once, he loved it. The Captain was not about to argue either as the cub looked adorable in it. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"Here, that will do for now." He walked towards the door, with the young cub trailing behind him as he pulled the tunic over his head. They didn't have to walk too far to get to Cubbi's room but the boy was quickly running ahead and in, diving to swing the door shut behind him but Plucki was a clever bear. Years of being a father and a Captain to rambunctious children made him hard to trick. He caught the door with his foot and quickly swept his eyes over the room before setting his squire with a half-serious, half-amused look, "Cubbi, honestly…"

"I'm not in bed yet," the boy insisted, picking up his pile of clothes after jumping over scattered game pieces and small wooden knights. "I'll clean it up!"

"Yes, I suspect you will." The adult knight commented, shaking his head, gently nudging a toy away from the door way with his left foot. "You know, it would prove much easier to clean up if you put things away as you were done with them." He added a slightly reproachful eyebrow raise to the suggestion. It was hard to be too harsh though; he had missed tripping over a cub's toys.

The boy shook his head adamantly. "Well, I was using them all at once!"

Plucki, curiosity winning out, inquired "You were using your stuffed animals, games, books and wooden toys all at once?" He shut the door behind them as the squire clambered out of the room, piling clothes on top of clothes in the small mound he held in his arms.

"Yeah!" Cubbi responded, grinning widely, "The stuffed animals are the monsters the wooden knights have to defeat and the cards from the games makes bridges over the rivers and the books are these portals that take them all over the place." He added a slight eye roll and gave his mentor an incredulous look. "Duh."

Chuckling lightly, the Captain took a small handful of the boy's clothing off his hands "Of course. Well, so long as each contributor is put away before you turn in for the evening." He had to admit, the boy's imagination never failed to astound him and he made a mental note to join the cub when he next had a chance in one of these games. Such creativity was an invaluable trait and should be nurtured at each chance.

Plus, it sounded quite engaging.

"I will, I promise, Plucki." The child insisted. Tripping a little as they made their way down the long winding stairs, Plucki caught the child by the shoulder and Cubbi quickly steadied his stance and his pace. Last thing he wanted was to fall down the stairs again. That had happened during his first week and he wanted to avoid a repeat of that if at all possible. Never happened at the Glen and he was determined that it would only happen in Gummadoon that one time. He was learning the stairs and hallways. Not quite home but closer than it had been his first week here.

The walk down to the laundry quarters took them to the ground floor and then a second flight of stairs to the basement level or what the knights called 'sub-floor one.' It definitely was less decorated than the other floors, having less carpets and vases and pictures but it still was bright and cheery, despite having no windows. Lots more colorful lanterns down here!

"Never been down here, Plucki," Cubbi reported simply.

Plucki nodded "Usually the boys stay away from here. There's not really a reason generally for you to venture down here." He opened a wide door down the hall and into a large room that smelled heavily of soap and water. The large washing machines were…well, huge! Especially compared to what he had known at the Glen. It was hard to tell what ran them though it may have been some kind of system with the water wheels outside.

Plucki stopped by one of them and opened the door, gesturing Cubbi to toss in his bundle of cloth which the boy did quite willingly. Pulling a small cup from the counter, Plucki showed the boy a large bucket where pink soap lingered. That was familiar to Cubbi; it was almost like the soap in the Glen, if a different color and slightly different smell.

"You don't have a full load so a half cup should do you." Plucki advised and the young cub was quick to obey. As he held out his cup, half filled with the pink liquid, the Captain gave an nod of approval to the amount and pointed. "Just pour it into the small basin," he pointed to a small troth-looking shelf just inside the machine. "When we release the water, it will release the soap slowly to mix."

Obeying, Cubbi watched as Plucki adjusted a small dial on the machine. He advised "You just adjust it to the size you want and then pull this small lever." He smirked "You boys don't need to worry about adjusting the temperature of the water for your clothing. You only have to worry about that if you're wearing a dress uniform and I'd prefer you let us wash those for now." He paused, added, "They usually wash in an hour or so. Whomever is doing a wash is expected to hang up those that are done for when the sun rises," he gestured to a long line of clothes hanging in the corner by the window. It looked like they were rigged on a pulley system to be sent out into the air in the morning. He could do that! He used to help Grammi with that sometimes.

Shifting his sight, he eyed Plucki, "So, will my clothes be dry by morning though?"

Plucki chuckled, "No worries, young squire. Even without the sun, a young boy's clothes do not take long to dry if hung up. If someone hasn't dropped them by your door before you're even awake, I would be surprised but if not, just catch me after you wake up and we'll come retrieve them, alright?" He added gently, "I suspect that from now on, it would be wise of you to make sure you have at least two outfits so there is not this worry, alright?"

Cubbi nodded "I will, I promise." He added "And…I guess if we can get me some other play clothes, I can start usin' those more." He didn't really like the idea of wearing anything other than his uniform but seeing the work that had to go into cleaning them, maybe he could do it a little…at least, it would be good to wear one when he and Toni ran into the woods. After all, Toni _did_ change into play outfits when they did that so he should try and do the same. Besides, as a knight, he certainly would not be expected to wear his uniform all the time. He'd seen the knights off duty wearing regular clothes…

With a grateful smile, Plucki responded, "You and I can make a day of it the day after tomorrow, my boy. I think I have an idea for some types of clothes that you would enjoy and afterwards, Lady Effi makes some of the best lunches in Gummadoon. The fact that you have not been introduced to her is quite the travesty." The Captain meant that too. He and the others would routinely stop by her shop for her sandwiches and stews. When Illsi had been pregnant with Aldi, it had been her favorite place and that adoration had not been limited to just her cub-bearing time. Effi was routinely busy but she always made time for the knights and squires. She was quite fond of them and when last Plucki had seen her, she had requested seeing some of the 'warriors-to-be' when they were available. He could not think of a better opportunity!

Cubbi tilted his head, nodding at the elder gummi's suggestion, with gumption. A day out with Plucki always sounded wonderful! Time for just the two of them! The cub smiled, widely then asked something that had caught his attention, "Do I have a dress uniform, Sir Plucki? I know you do." While he had never seen the Captain in his dress uniform, he knew that he had one. All knights did, right? It might have seemed off topic but when his mentor had mentioned it, his mind had clung to it.

Plucki answered in the affirmative, with a slightly amused chuckle, "You have an order for one, though I doubt you'll need to utilize it very much." He led the boy on the way out of the room as the machine began its cycle. "We only utilize our dress uniforms for very formal ceremonies, such as knighting of new soldiers, weddings, funerals or formal conferences with more than three cities." He smiled at the cub as they headed up the stone steps, Cubbi half-hopping. "Unless I miss my guess, I suspect that your first time wearing it will be at young Cavin's wedding." He beamed, with pride "It's a great honor to be selected to be one's best man among humans, my boy and for a would-be king and queen's wedding no less!"

Cubbi grinned, "When is that gonna be again?" It had been a mere month since Cavin and Calla had made their announcement (much to Grammi's squealing delight) but it was never far from Cubbi's mind. Seemed a bit young to get married, least as far as he knew, but Cavin was excited so that was all that mattered!

Plucki let loose a light guffaw, "You have a habit, young squire, of asking questions that you already know the answer to. Now, I surmise that you could tell ME when it is, correct?"

Cubbi snorted a little but replied "I guess. Cavin said sometime next spring. I dunno why it takes so long though! It's only summer!" He eyed Plucki, stating, "How can it take that long to plan a wedding? It's not that complicated."

Plucki shook his head but with giddy joy, "Ah, you'd be surprised at all the things involved in a wedding, my boy. Mine took five months to plan and another two to get prepared for."

Cubbi stared "Really? That long? Why so long?"

"Well," Plucki advised as they headed back towards Cubbi's room, "You have to decide who will be involved and that is a very personal decision. You must decide on your Chosen Gummi as well as your Gummi Guide." He elaborated "For me, it was the Chosen Gummi that was hardest for me. I considered both Gumlittle and Blastus to be my closest friends and the ones that I trusted to protect my new wife should something happen to me, so deciding on whom would take that stance and vow next to me was a difficult decision."

Cubbi, curiosity whetted, inquired as he slipped into his room and quickly began to pick up some of his toys, "Who did you pick?" He knew a Gummi Guide was the gummi who had held the most influence over your life as you grew up but a Chosen Gummi was 'posed to be a close friend or relative who would take care of your family if you couldn't and was someone that your family could call on for help. Least, that was what Cubbi had heard from Grammi. Naturally, the Glen had not had a traditional gummi wedding in quite some time so despite it being a more 'girly' thing, he was interested by the concept. Plus, he imagined that Sir Plucki's wedding would have been amazing!

"Both of them." Plucki admitted "I couldn't decide and Illsi informed me that it was our wedding and if I had two dear friends who would take a vow to protect my family in my absence, then I should embrace it!" He chuckled, sat down on the ground and gathered a few of the nearby stuffed animals, tossing them in the small net they had put up to hold the boy's stuffed animals in the corner of the room. Cubbi dropped a few of his wooden toys into the small toy chest then laughed aloud.

"You can do that?" He asked, "Just pick however many you want?"

"If they are that important, then yes, you can." Plucki advised. "Some people might think it's 'breaking tradition' but it is your ceremony." He eyed Cubbi, "I know humans have slightly different traditions but the similarities between the Chosen Gummi and the Best Man are quite apparent." He eyed the young cub "At least as far as Cavin is concerned. Your human friends have already broken tradition in many ways so I am not surprised they have done so in other manners as well."

Cubbi stopped his cleaning briefly and asked "What do you mean, Plucki?"

The Captain smiled, standing to toss another toy into its chosen holder, "Well, unless human ways have changed much since I was last informed, the duties of the 'best man' so to speak used to be to defend against a bride's family as the groom stole her away. Hence, he was usually the human's best fighting companion." He laughed, seeing the horror spread over Cubbi's face "However, with young Cavin, it sounds much more like our tradition, does it not?"

Cubbi pondered this before nodding in agreement "Yeah, Cavin tol' me that he wanted someone to stand by his side who would always be there and who could help protect his family both during the ceremony and afterwards. Someone that Calla could lean on if she needed to and he wasn't there!" Cubbi found himself beaming with pride at the memory of that exchange, "That IS a lot like 'Chosen Gummi' isn't it?"

The Captain gave a strong nod of agreement. "Indeed, it is. That is a deeply coveted position, my boy. Family…that is something we gummies hold close to our heart and Gum be praised, somehow you and your fellow Glens managed to find humans who had the same ideals. Cavin has decided that if he is at war, or ill or Gum forbid, gone in any fashion, that Calla and any of their future children will be protected because you have struck such a strong brotherhood with his heart. He must trust you immensely." Plucki did not comment on the fact that a gummi being selected for a human ceremony was a bold political move especially for a royal wedding. He knew Calla had selected Sunni to stand by her side as well. He knew that there had been shock over that but the fiery girl would not relent and it seemed that Cavin would not either. These two human children (because regardless of human traditions, that is what they were!) had souls and heart that were deeply gummi in spirit. Amazing…it made Plucki's heart swell with hope. Reaching out, he scooped up one of the books lying on the ground, closing it and setting it on the boy's bed.

"Cavin's like my brother," Cubbi confirmed. "We know everything 'bout one another!" he bragged a little, setting some of his card games up on his desk. "I know what he's afraid of, what he likes to eat, what he smells like…"

Plucki paused at that and indeed, so did Cubbi, though he didn't know why. He turned, asked, "Is…that weird, Plucki? Knowing what Cavin smells like?" He'd never thought about it before, heck, he had never even realized that he had that memorized until he started to name off what he knew about Cavin. It had just popped into his mind and was out of his mouth before he could stop it. Shifting, he deposited the last of his toys onto his desk before eyeing the Captain, grateful that the elder gummi was just chuckling lightly.

The Captain gave a gentle smile to the boy's legitimate interest, "Smell has always been important to gummies Cubbi. To humans, not so much but that's because our sense of smell is much more developed than theirs." He moved to the boy's bed, patting the area next to him which the cub quickly clambered into. "Answer me this," Plucki added, leaning onto a bent knee, "When you think of any of the Glens, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?"

Without missing a beat, Cubbi focused, then answered "Well…." Cubbi blinked in surprise "Huh…." While, yes, he did think of how they looked, of their voices, of their usual actions but along with each memory was a sense of belonging and smell. Whenever he thought of Grammi, the scent of rustic spices, fresh picked flak, and freshly washed linen combined with the smell of cooked berries wafted over each memory. With Gruffi, it was sandpaper dust, oil, and just an overall 'woodsy' smell. With Zummi, ink, old and worn paper and a kinda 'mystical' scent that he really couldn't define that seemed to resemble blooming flowers. "Weird…I never really thought about it too much." He admitted "But, yeah, I guess they do all have their own smell. Just…never really thought about it."

Plucki nodded "It doesn't surprise me, Cubbi. It has become so commonplace for most gummies that we don't think of it much until it's called to our attention. We do it automatically with family members, especially when cubs are born."

Cubbi looked over at his mentor "Really?"

Plucki nodded "It is an old instinct that we have not lost. Humans will lock eyes with their young ones, gummies will focus on smell. You will see new parents bury their face into the neck of their child, gathering their scent and locking it to memory. The cubs will often respond in kind, burying their face into their parent and memorizing the smell. It's not often needed as it used to be—when we lived as nomads always moving, but we have not lost it." He smiled "It is still common in weddings for gummies to lean into the neck of their intended. It is for the same reason."

Cubbi thought a long moment then asked "Never seen a gummi wedding…so…do you remember Aldi and Illsi's smell?"

Plucki gave a simple nod "Aye, I will remember that scent for the rest of my life. Illsi always smelled of tulips as they were her favorite flowers and she carried a scent of polished wood and leather given how often she spent in council chambers and there was a sweet, almost citrus smell to her fur." Plucki's eyes were slightly glassy at the memory but he was smiling. "And my Aldi…" the knight shook his head "Aldi was so like his mother. Always with a whiff of parchment to him but also with the scent of berries he used in those colored quill inks he favored and an almost metallic twang to his scent."

Cubbi nodded, listening. He had never met either gummi, at least not while on the mortal plane, but hearing Plucki describe them, he felt that he had met them, at least in some fashion. "Oh…" He frowned, thinking then smiled, "It's really neat that smell can do that, Plucki! I mean, I've never met them…well, I mean, I met Aldi kinda..." He trailed off because, quite frankly, now that Plucki mentioned a smell, Cubbi did recall a scent among Aldi's spirit, though it had been faint. He'd been too preoccupied to really think much on it and it was one of those things that if Plucki had not mentioned it, he probably would never have "And you know what? I think there WAS a scent there…just…it wasn't that strong but still, I remember a little bit of one!"

With a warm grin that was reminiscent of Plucki, the knight responded, "There are some who think that our smell is spiritual in a way. That is why it is so vital and important and sacred among family members." Building on the idea, he asked, "You say you know Cavin's scent?"

The boy nodded quickly, "Yeah, I dunno when I really decided to take it in. Maybe…" he thought hard. "Well, maybe…after I decided to come back and not go with Chummi over the ocean maybe. Everyone was so glad I didn't go and Cavin had come to help us and…" he smirked, "I think he almost strangled me when he hugged me. I musta gotten it then."

Plucki remarked, sitting back on the boy's bed, and the cub was quick to flop down on his back next to him, "It is entirely possible—have you brushed your teeth?—" the cub nodded "Or you could have simply acquired it on a simple occasion, such as talking. Not all important things occur under the guise of a grand scheme or event."

Cubbi considered this proposition. It did make sense. He recalled there being a few times that he might have taken it in. However, there was one that was standing out in his mind. It had been a simple day out in the woods, they had been wrestling and playing when Cavin had surprised him and they had fallen back into a mess of clovers. Cubbi just remembered burying his face into Cavin's neck and then, it was like they went from friends to brothers that day. Yet, he could not recall a time anymore when they had NOT felt like siblings! Or when Grammi and the others hadn't treated Cavin like another member of the Glen! Heck, Gruffi had slipped once and called Cavin 'cub' not 'kid.'

"Maybe. I guess…I dunno, it feels like I've always known his scent now that you've got me thinkin' about it." He eyed his mentor, smiling widely, playing with a loose tooth absent-mindedly with his tongue. Stupid thing refused to fall out. "But it's kinda hard to describe. I mean, it's kinda like hay but cleaner smelling, and a little like that weird wine the humans drink and leather but there's another scent in there that I can't really describe…maybe like sweet apples or something?" He rolled over onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "Can't name it but I know what it is."

The Captain gave his young squire a knowing look "As is often the case with family, young squire," he advised, "We have the smell so embedded into our mind that language fails to accurately describe it. Words are limited in conveying emotion and for gummies, that is what scents do."

Cubbi nodded, his eyes shimmering. This was beyond what he had been taught before. It had just never come up when he was younger and he'd never thought about it. It was an amazing thing, what being exposed to all these different gummies taught him and what he had even ended up teaching some of the adults! He'd never imagined such a feat being possible and yet now it seemed to happen on a regular basis! Even when he thought that the day was over and done and there were only mundane 'chores' left to finish, Plucki still ended up teaching him something.

Like tonight. Aside from the clothing, this…this talk about smell and bonding…it struck a cord with Cubbi, one that he was still trying to figure out when the first yawn escaped from his mouth. He tried, and failed, to hide it with his arm and Plucki gave him that paternal smile that he loved so much and reached over, gently thumbing the boy's nose. The knight sat up a little, adding, "And if you've brushed your teeth as you said, it's time you got into bed."

Pouting lightly, the cub opened his mouth to protest but the knight just raised a brow at the squire and Cubbi caved with a hefty sigh. "Okay, okay…" When Plucki looked at him like that, it held just as much power as Grammi's look. You just didn't argue with it because it never got you anywhere. Plus, he was a squire of Gummadoon and squires didn't whine! That was something he just wouldn't do and besides, he had found by watching the others that whining was one of the few things that really bothered Plucki. He never wanted to disappoint the knight, much like he never wanted to disappoint Gruffi or Grammi or Zummi. So, despite his longing to stay up a little more, he relented.

Turning down the sheets, Cubbi flopped underneath them but even as Plucki retrieved a book they had been reading together from his bookshelf, his mind was racing. All this that he had learned tonight! Yet, his mind kept returning to the aftermath of that big battle, when Plucki had grasped him tight and for a moment, he had lingered, paused before laying his cheek on his head. Cubbi remembered it distinctly. It had been…it hadn't felt bad as he was an affectionate child but…well, it had felt incomplete, like something was supposed to have happened that hadn't.

As the older gummi sat down on the bedside, Cubbi inquired, snuggled into the blankets, "Hey Plucki, can I ask you a question?"

Hand frozen on the corner of the page, the Captain turned his sights on his squire and offered a smile, "You can always ask me anything, Cubbi. You know that." He added with a slight warning "Unless someone is just stalling."

Shaking his head from side to side, the cub promised "No stalling but well, I was just thinking…what you were saying 'bout parents and family members ins..ins.."

"Instinctively" Plucki supplied patiently.

"Right. That. Well, I mean, do gummies do that with adopted cubs too?" He froze and slapped his hand on his head in frustration, "I mean, not-baby adopted ones!" Cause, duh, obviously he had acquired his Glen members' scents so it stood to reason they had done the same. "Stupid question…"

Reaching out a hand, Plucki shook his head as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Not stupid, my boy. No such thing as a stupid question."

Cubbi rolled his eyes "You adults always say that and I say that's not true." He elaborated with his hands, stating "Let's say you told me not to play with my pebble shooter inside. I do it anyway, break a window and then ask you if I'm in trouble."  
Raising a finger, he pointed right at Plucki's nose. "THAT is a stupid question."

Giving into a large guffaw, Plucki gently replied "Ah, so you're going to get specific on me, are you?" Shaking his head again, he added "But, all joking aside Cubbi, I don't view any questions by children as stupid. You're still learning. And regarding your inquiries on bonding and smell and family, frankly, there are some adults that truly don't comprehend our culture. I'm so proud that you are taking such an interest." The cub's smile widened and Plucki went on, "As for your inquiry, yes, adoptive parents usually take in their new children's smell once the child expresses acceptance and allowance." He added "Some cubs prefer not to accept a new parent's scent and thus, the parent will often respect that desire. Most, however, are willing and wanting that bond again." He amended "I'm sure you noticed that now when you think back on it, the smell provides a link that is impossible to describe, be it with your fellow Glens or with young Cavin."

The boy went silent, considering. Plucki waited and when Cubbi didn't persist with another question, he opted to reach for the book again. His squire seemed to be in an inquisitive mood tonight but Plucki actually looked forward to that with the trainees, especially with his own squire. Sometimes, there was little more thrilling than listening to a child fire off question after question. Even when Aldi had been a little thing, Plucki had loved his questions but Aldi had always been one to go and try to find his answers in a book. Cubbi was much more open to hearing others' thoughts and opinions by mouth rather than digging through the old texts, something that the Captain adored about the child. Even now, he could see the boy's mind wheels still turning. No matter, he could wait. When Cubbi was ready, he would ask and Plucki would not push. He shifted his eyes back to the book in his hand.

Again, for the third or fourth time in just this conversation, Cubbi found himself revisiting that embrace. He remembered it so distinctly but every time he looked back on it, it felt…not wrong…but well, like something was missing. He had truly relished in knowing Plucki was safe, that he was safe, that they were back together but when Plucki had paused when he had hugged him, hesitated, it had triggered something. Something that he had not known what to call it until now. He reached out, pausing Plucki's hand on the book again. "Plucki…'nother question."

Giving the boy his attention, the knight set the book on the nightstand and gave his trainee a nod of acceptance.

"Before…after that big battle with Emi, when we joined up again, you paused for a second, when you hugged me." He recalled, looking down at his fingers like they were the most interesting thing in the world. "Right before you laid your cheek on my head." Cubbi bit his lower lip. "Were you…did you wanna take in my smell then?"

Caught, the Gummadoon Captain heaved a deep sigh before he responded. "You're a sharp lad, my boy." He gave the cub a soft look, reaching out and gently cupping the child's chin, "And as I told you before, I feel that sometimes…most of the time if I am to be honest, I look on you more as a father looks on a son than a captain to a squire. If I am to be frank, Gumlittle and Blastus and I have had that reaction much more often than most but I have meant no harm in it, I assure you. Your guess is correct though, Cubbi. When I saw you were alive, that you were not harmed, my heart leaped, it cried for joy, pure relief and for a moment, I felt a strong desire to take in your scent as a reassurance to myself that you were whole and well." He chuckled, lightly, "That was the reason for my pause. You didn't give me permission and that is not something that one just takes."

Cubbi nodded, still staring at his fingers. "Right. And you…wanted to have that bond with me? That special bond?" Cubbi's heart was beating hard in his chest but not in a bad way.  
Leaning over, Plucki laid his forehead on Cubbi's, responding, "Cubbi, as I told you before, you have made your way into my heart. I don't know how or when but you have. I have never meant any malice by it, nor have I desired to pull you away from those that have raised you so well up until you joined us for training. But you have grown precious to me."

Cubbi allowed a smile and looked up "Hey, I'm your Bright Eyes, right?" He _loved_ that nickname. He had wanted a nickname ever since he had heard the other knights calling their own squires special names and while he had tried to think of potential names he might earn, he still wasn't prepared the first time Plucki called him 'Bright Eyes.' All other names had seemed insignificant then as it was HIS name. One that Plucki had chosen especially for him and one that no one else shared.

Allowing his chest to swell with the smile, the elder gummi nodded "That you are—"

"You can take it, Plucki." Cubbi blurted out suddenly and quickly.

The knight froze and for a good few minutes didn't say anything. "C-cubbi?"

"My smell," Cubbi felt the need to clarify. "If you wanna…memorize it…you can." He locked eyes with his mentor. "See, I knew something felt weird. But it wasn't the hug or nothin' that felt weird, Plucki." He felt the need to emphasize that. "I felt like I needed to do something, like I wanted to do something but because you stopped, I stopped. I didn't know why or even what I was stopping from doing but now…it all makes a lot of sense now." He pulled his knees up to his chest and rocked back and forth a little bit. "I used to be 'fraid of how I started to think about you because it was just like how I look on Grammi or Gruffi. And I thought I was betraying them or something cause I was starting to think of you like that. But, Grammi tol' me that the heart doesn't have limits. She used to say it would grow if it needed to grow and that it only grew for someone if they needed to be in there." He considered a moment then threw the sheets back and moved, shifting into Plucki's lap and looking up at him. "And I _want_ you in my heart, just like Zummi, Grammi and Gruffi are. Cause I…care for you the same." There, he'd said it. "So…I…I…want us to have that bond. If we can. If you want it."

Heart melting, Plucki whispered to the boy "If it is something you want Cubbi, my heart would rejoice at it. However, I want it to truly be YOUR choice, not due to any other influences."

Cubbi nodded "I want it, Plucki. Like I said, I…I'm already thinkin' of you different. You're more than just a teacher." That was true, in every aspect of the word. You didn't worry, love and fret about a teacher, not like Cubbi did about Plucki. Now, for a family member, a…father…you did. He moved a bit, shifted, to sit on his knees so he could really look Plucki in the face. "What I have with Gruffi, with Zummi, with Grammi, I want that with you. My heart and body just knew it 'fore I did."

The Gummadoon Captain was fairly certain if his heart swelled anymore that it would burst. He had accepted, finally, that Cubbi had claimed a place in his heart that was evenly matched by Aldi. It had taken him some time to accept it but the truth could not be denied any longer. When he had clutched the cub to his chest after that battle, he had instinctually gone to get that reassuring scent and had only just stopped himself. It had felt odd and he was astounded to learn that young Cubbi had felt the same! Now, to have Cubbi extend his permission, Plucki's eyes felt wet.

"As…is often the case, young Cubbi." Plucki found his voice after a moment, "Our hearts are much wiser than we give them credit for."

That said, Cubbi simply nodded and smiled, reached up and wrapped his arms tight around Plucki's neck, burying his face into the knight's chest. He had never done this before, least not consciously. He tried to think about what he must have done with Cavin but wouldn't that be different, since Cavin wasn't a gummi? Plucki had said that when the parent took in the child's scent that the child responded in kind. So, was it some kind of chemical thing? He remembered Zummi talking about how some animals communicated that way and…

Sir Plucki laid his face into Cubbi's neck and inhaled, deeply, committing that scent to memory. That smell that was so uniquely Cubbi. A child of the outdoors he was! The scent of fresh grass, wet dirt, and a mixture of various trees on a wild breeze drifted into his consciousness (the smell of youth and energy if ever there was!) and he locked it into his heart. He felt an odd empty space in his spirit suddenly overflow and the purpose his life seemed to take on new weight. This little child, while dear to his heart before, became branded onto his soul and his safety, happiness and security were permanently on the knight's mind.

Cubbi felt an odd sensation take him when Plucki took an inhale in. It was so weird but oh so welcomed! He tightened his grip on the knight's neck, as much as he dared and took in a deep inhale, through both mouth and nose. Plucki's unique scent, while familiar to him before, suddenly became as recognizable as the gummi's face. The smell of fresh mint, polished metal, and blooming pollen became just as common to him as Gruffi's woodsy scent or Grammi's homey scent. There really wasn't a word for it. To Cubbi, it was just…safe. Safe, home, love. He relaxed and his throat constricted in an odd sound that he never remembered making before but it felt right, so he just opted to let his body command it. Obviously, it knew what it was doing. Besides which, a soft limpness took Cubbi as soon as he allowed it out of his mouth but not a weakness kind. It…well, the only thing he could think of to describe it was the same feeling you got when you fell asleep and one of the adults carried you to bed. The feeling of protection, of love, of belonging.

The soft chur-chur-chur noise that suddenly seeped out of Cubbi's throat finally drew the hidden tears from Plucki's eyes and he lay a kiss to cub's forehead with a slightly deeper chortling of his own. Gum, how long had it been since he had heard a cub make that sound? Aldi had been in diapers the last time he had willingly made it. It was not something Plucki had ever expected to hear again and the fact that Cubbi opted to do so now made the older gummi sure he was going to collapse under the weight of all these emotions.

Cubbi looked up at the knight after a moment, feeling more than a little emotionally drained but happy. Happier than he remembered being in a long time. Though with whatever THAT had been that came out of his throat, a bit baffled. "What was that?" he inquired. "Never made that sound before." Yet, it had felt correct, like it was something he was supposed to say and something he felt from somewhere deeper than his mind. Impossible to describe aside from it being something he felt—kinda like when Grammi had nuzzled him when he was younger and he had nuzzled back. Yeah…just like that.

Pressing his cheek onto the boy's forehead, Plucki responded "Churring. Not something we hear nor do very often. Cubs often do it during bonding." He thought a moment then clarified "It is something of an unspoken promise. A vow from the child that they surrender their heart, that they have utter and complete trust in the one with whom they bond." He choked down his tears "It is a great honor and one that I am humbled you have given me, Bright Eyes."

Cubbi eyed the knight "And was that what you were doing too? That rumble I heard? Wasn't a laugh or a growl." Gum knew he had learned over the years what the latter sounded like. However, this had felt warm, soft, welcoming and well, for lack of a better word, special. Like…he felt like he was the most important thing in Plucki's life right now and likewise, as if his world was now complete because Plucki had taken his scent into his heart and he'd do absolutely anything to keep Plucki from danger. It was an alien feeling in that he had previously only felt such a deep devotion to Gruffi or Grammi or Zummi but it was one that felt right. Completely right. He added, regarding that deep rumbling noise he had felt sweep over him like a wave, "It sounded kinda like what I did but deeper." And warm. It had _sounded_ warm.

Stroking the boy's short hair, he nodded in response "Deeper vocal cords, my boy. But yes." He smiled, widely "It has been a long time since I had a chance to respond to a chur." With a soft whisper, he added "I never thought I would be blessed enough to have another child call on me in such a special way." He mused "So, I make the same vow to you, Cubbi. That you are equal in my heart to my Aldi. That I will guide you, protect you, love you." He lowered his head and touched his nose to Cubbi's "Until my lungs no longer pull air and my heart beats freeze, I will hold you in my heart. And when I pass from this world, my spirit will always be there for you to call upon." He gave the boy a second kiss, softly vowing, "That is my promise to you, my Bright Eyes. MY Cubbi."

Cubbi felt dumbfounded. He wanted to respond. He wanted to say that he would always be there to help Plucki. That he was going to grow strong and tough and he was going to make Plucki so proud. That he was going to always be there for Plucki to call on if he needed help and…and…

"I love you, Plucki." He finally settled on and relaxing against the knight's chest, savoring in that warm scent, he let that soft almost purring noise come from his throat again. When Plucki responded in kind, he felt at peace. Sleepy, content.

NOW Gummadoon was home.


	9. Chapter 9

**TIME FRAME: The spring before Cubbi's 11th birthday.**

The group of squires, bored senseless by the rain, had taken to discussing their training, their challenges and their mentors. It had not started as such. They had tried their luck with card games, with board games, with trivia, and even with quizzing one another on knighthood ethics and questions. It had actually been fairly entertaining at first, with Corvi and Martinni throwing most of the questions out. Flynn struggled with some but Toni and Cubbi plowed through most of them. Unfortunately, that meant there was not much challenge to it. Flynn became frustrated and the others became bored.

Cubbi was beginning to wish he had taken Tavi up on her offer and gone with her family to Ursalia. Maybe it wasn't raining there. And he knew that the Great Library always had neat stuff to explore. The library here was smaller and because it was open to all the residents of Gummadoon, there were restricted areas for squires. No fun exploring the 'kid' stuff. They couldn't do any run and tumble games inside (last time had ended badly with a bloody nose for Flynn, a goose egg for himself and two weeks of extra chores for all involved.) So, they were more or less restricted to table games or simple play which they had grown bored with quickly.

The knights said they would do something with them once they finished their work but as was common, they had a lot of work. Given that the boys in question would love some one on one time, they opted to stay out of their way. If they kept to themselves then their mentors had less distractions and were more than likely to get done with their workload quickly. That would mean some one on one time and hopefully a hot meal and story hour before the night was up. Somehow, the knights always seemed to find activities that the boys didn't think of. So, maybe dealing with a little boredom now might be worth it in the end.

Still, they would insist later that they had no idea what triggered this conversation. It had started so simply, with them simply flopped on the window seat and floor around the large bay window, watching the rain pour down with melancholy moods to match. Corvi pulled out a book and began to read with a cursory interest while the other boys let out sighs of discontent. With nothing to do, one of the younger among them, Toni could only take some much of the quiet. With their games extinguished, the only thing left to do was talk. Talk about anything, literally anything! Just something besides the pat-pat-pat of the rain!

"What does Blastus call you, Corv?" Toni asked suddenly to their eldest member.

The teen blinked, surprised. "Huh?" He shifted his glance from out the window and down to the floor where Cubbi and Toni were flopped. Martinni, sitting upright and at proper posture in one of the nearby chairs perked up at the idea of ANY conversation and young Flynn who was sitting backward on one of the same chairs, lifted his ears a bit. It wasn't exactly the kind of conversation he had thought they would begin to engage in nor one that normally would be discussed but it was something to talk about!

"You know," Martinni clarified "Like nicknames." He didn't really see why Toni would bring up that topic but it was better than literally dying of boredom with the falling rain as a requiem song.

Rolling his eyes, the teen closed the book he'd be absentmindedly thumbing though, replying, "You all know he calls me "little lamb" to bug me." Granted, Corvi did enjoy the name but in front of others, not so much. It had begun when he was young. Blastus had taken to calling him little lamb because, apparently, when he was little, his golden hair had been so light gold it nearly looked white. The fact that when he was introduced to some of the farm animals early on and loved the lambs the most probably sealed that name for life. It did hold a certain power to it though; it always made Corvi feel better though in front of the others…not so much.

"Well, does he call you anything else?" Cubbi inquired. "Adults never seem to stop at one nickname." He felt inclined to add "I know Grammi used to call me all kinds of things. Didn't know that the knights would do it too!" He didn't comment on it but that was actually a welcomed surprise. He had never realized how much he actually liked the childhood nicknames until he no longer heard them. Even Gruffi's tough 'cub' became something he missed when he no longer had it being called after him. When Plucki started to apply his own nicknames for him, it had actually been a joy. Not that he'd ever admit that though!

Corvi shrugged, fingering through his book a little. "Little lamb, his little genius..." He shuddered a bit "When I first started, he'd call me Ponytail." Blastus, thankfully, had not called him that in several years but he remembered being a small page and responding to that call from across the courtyard. Being a small thing, ANY personal name from Blastus he adored and he had been six before he realized how horrible it really was. That was about the time that Little Lamb came into play. While it was one that Corvi did get embarrassed over at times, it was still a LOT better than "Ponytail"!

Cubbi giggled a bit "Ponytail?" Covering his mouth, he tried to keep down his chuckling but he wasn't alone. The other boys, having not been old enough to remember Corvi ever being referred to in such a manner, were fighting down their own series of guffaws. The teenager scowled, face burning a deep red color and he reached out, giving Cubbi a gentle shove of frustration.

"That's how I used to wear my hair," the teen defended. "It wasn't my idea! And you don't have any room to talk." He added with a dark, twisted look to his face. If the others wanted to make fun of his nicknames, that was fine by him. He was the eldest of them. He had heard MORE than his fair share of the horrible nicknames they had been christened with. If Cubbi meant to throw out the ammo, he better be ready to take it. Closing his book, he set the pink furred cub was a very dangerous smile that the other boys had learned to fear, "If I recall, for you, Plucki had…oh, what was it…?" he trailed off, pretending to think.

"Yeah," Flynn grinned, more than happy to join in the teasing fun and catching onto Corvi's plan quite early. "How did Plucki refer to you the other day-"

"Don't say it!" Cubbi threatened, his cheeks already warm. He hardly considered it a nickname per say as Plucki was talking ABOUT him and not TO him but…

"Oh yeah," Martinni picked up, his eyes shining with the rare mischievous gleam. "His little baby?" Word had spread rather fast through the ranks of the squires, as did most news but as was often the case with young boys, if it involved potentially embarrassing anecdotes. "That's what he called you, right?"

Cubbi pouted; he really didn't mind the name but much like Corvi didn't like "little lamb" in front of others, he preferred that name be used in private. "Yeah, he did." He admitted "But he uses Bright Eyes more." Now, THAT name he adored. When he'd asked Plucki one day 'why Bright Eyes?' the Captain had smiled and responded with "Because you're always bright eyed and bushy tailed and bushy-tail didn't seem to fit you. Your eyes could light up a room…hence, Bright Eyes." Needless to say, he loved it when Plucki used it and had even come to prefer that to his real name. Plucki used Bright Eyes sparingly though, slipping in a few other nicknames here and there. Once Cubbi had shown he appreciated the nicknames, the Captain had shown he could be quite creative with his monikers. "And he didn't even call _me_ 'baby.' He was just talkin' bout me. When he's talking to ME, it's Bright Eyes." He folded his arms in a show of finality to the topic. Geez, you would think this clarification would be pretty simple to comprehend!

Toni beamed "Or..." He teased lightly, grinning at his friend. Toni was pretty much always with Cubbi lately. That meant there were quite a few things that Toni knew that the others didn't and if Cubbi thought he was going to end the teasing with that statement, he had sorely underestimated Toni Gummi!

"Tone..." Cubbi half-growled, teeth clenched, face red. "Don't. He called me that once."  
Cubbi's tone of voice made it quite clear that violation of this command would be met with retaliation. There wasn't any NEED to bring up that name. If it was several times like it sounded like Corvi's names had been, okay, but this had been one time more than a month ago!

Toni grinned, reading Cubbi's vocal cues and completely ignoring them. "Tickle-Bear."

"Shaddup!" Cubbi pushed his friend over, knocking him onto his back. It had been a one-time thing! "It was just once! Plucki brushed my ribs when he was telling me to go to bed and I squealed, okay?" Oh, squealed he had and Plucki had apparentely loved it because he had been quite to dub him 'Tickle Bear,' much to Cubbi's dismay and quite a few "Oh, Gum, Plucki, don't call me THAT" from the young squire. It figured that Toni of all people had heard it. Just what he needed—more ammo for teasing.

Well, if Toni was going to be like that…

Cubbi eyed his chuckling teammate, breaking into a sneer himself, saying "And what about you! You know we know Sport isn't all Gumlittle calls you."

The attack turned on him, Toni's face blanched "Hey.." As much fun as it was to tease Cubbi about some of his names, it was a whole other ballgame when they were bringing up some of Gumlittle's little tags for him! Much as he loved that gummi, the names he had called him…

Evil grin over taking his face, Cubbi elaborated, "Yeah, Blueberry."

Flynn gaffed, his mouth dropping. "He calls you that?" That was the most awful name ever! And he thought HIS names were bad!

Martinni snorted, amused, "How did I miss that?" He looked his friend up and down "Though it suits you," he teased lightly about his friend's blue shading.

"Does not!" Toni denied, looking from Martinni to Flynn, "Does not!" He scowled "He…he's only called me that a few times. Doesn't count."

Flynn argued "Uh-uh," with a shake of the head, "If Cubbi being called 'baby' once—"  
"He didn't CALL me that, he was talking ABOUT me!" Cubbi insisted, flopping on his back on the floor, utterly exasperated. "Gum!"

"-Counts" Flynn finished, ignoring Cubbi's dramatics on the floor. "Then being called 'Blueberry' a few times totally is game!" He giggled again, rocking on the chair a little, "Man, you and Cubbi totally could have a contest for who has the worst nickname."  
Toni pouted, poking out his lower lip, "Look, Blueberry isn't what he calls me all the time."

"You're right," Corvi agreed with a simple shrug though he couldn't deny that Toni's frantic face was easily the most amusing thing to watch. "He calls you "little bug" sometimes..."

Toni narrowed his eyes "Not a lot!" as Flynn burst into full on belly laughs. Little Bug was a fairly recent nickname he had acquired and while he never turned down the affection from his mentor…really? Little Bug? Why couldn't it be something strong sounding? Heck, why were ALL their nicknames so…well, unflattering? Was that a requirement for an adult to give you a nickname? That you had to dread hearing it? Though he supposed Sport wasn't so bad but why oh why hadn't Gumlittle stopped at THAT?

Martinni felt inclined to add "Still counts." He argued, "Besides, Flynn has a point. If Cubbi's only been called Tickle-Bear once and that counts then I think Gumlittle calling you 'little bug' at least three times trumps it." He had heard it at least two times, though now he was very much interested in when he had missed 'Blueberry.' After all, Cubbi had heard Toni get slammed with that several times apparently and he had only been training with them for about a year and a half. It bugged Martinni a little that Cubbi knew more about Toni than he did. Not a lot but a little…maybe because they had the same mentor so he thought they should have been closer?

Defeated for the moment, Toni turned his sights on Martinni and scowled, "Well, he gave you bad names too!" If they thought he wasn't going to pass this horrible teasing around, think again!

Hands up, Martinni remarked "Not denying it." He decided to disagree it as his comrades had been doing seemed to do nothing but fuel the masses to think of as many obscure names as they could. He would much rather just own up to it. Besides, if Toni and Cubbi's names were any indication, his were NOT that bad. Maybe there was a hidden gift to not being the center of attention most days?

"So you get called Sprout," Cubbi reported "the most." He definitely heard that from Gumlittle the most when directed at Martinni. Similar to Sport for Toni but definitely with a different tone. "Where did THAT come from?" He could understand 'sport' given how active Toni was (one of the few gummies that could keep up with him!) but sprout, really?

Corvi answered for Martinni. "Gumlittle started calling him that when he was a page. Because he wanted to grow tall like Gumlittle so he started to eat as many greens as he could because Gumlittle had him convinced it would make him grow up like a plant. Hence…sprout." Corvi lay his elbow on a bent knee, "The knights seem to like to give us completely random names and unfortunately, the weird ones seem to stick." He snorted lightly "Ask Lucki when he gets back—Four Leaf Clover is one of his."

Cubbi laughed a bit but wrinkled his nose "Gum, that's bad." He gave Martinni a teasing half-punch to the leg where the older squire sat in his chair with a beaming smile, "But is it as bad as your OTHER names?" He bared his teeth, saying "I KNOW you have more."

"He does." Flynn confirmed, "Sprout's the usual one but then I think it was Cuddle bear, right?"

The olive colored cub groaned. Much like Blueberry for Toni, Cuddle Bear had only been used for him once or twice. He believed that his last time that Gumlittle had used it had been when he'd fallen in training and slammed his face into one of the wooden posts. Had hurt something fierce and he was not ashamed to admit that he had cried. Gumlittle had spoken it in a whisper but gummies, especially nosy fellow-trainees, had great ears it seemed. It had been comforting in that moment but hearing it now…yeah, that was pretty bad.

Toni added as Martinni's face colored a bit "Or was it Tiger?"

Martinni scoffed "Least that one isn't so bad. I'll take it over "Cuddle Bear" any day of the week." He made that announcement quite firm, folding his arms, very similar to how Cubbi had done not too long ago.

Cubbi rolled his eyes, seeing in Martinni's eyes the same look that he had tried to hide when his less-than-flattering names were brought to attention. "Whatever. You like it and you know it."

Martinni was not about to lie but he couldn't exactly admit it either. Not and keep his dignity. So, he opted for the next best thing.

Distraction.

Shifting his attention to Flynn and avoiding the pink trainee's statement, Martinni stated "Okay Flynn, we've all reported our horrible monikers, what's yours?"

"Huh?" The brown furred youngest blinked in confusion. Martinni bit down an urge to roll his eyes. Gum, didn't he keep up with reading? Moniker wasn't THAT hard a word…

"What names does Blastus call you, besides Flynn?" Corvi clarified patiently, shooting Martinni a warning stare. Blasted kid had way too large an ego at times…

Understanding bleeding into his face, Flynn responded, "Oh. Well, Blastie calls me "little knight—"

"Doesn't count" Martinni interrupted "We all get called that sometimes." He added "And squire, lad, cub or kid don't count either."

Corvi felt inclined to add, "And any French names like 'petit celui,' 'mon petit enfant' anything like that…you're fair game for that too so don't count those."

Toni added, "Yeah, so give! Flynn, Blastus likes to come up with some doozies." He sat up a little straighter, holding his feet and rocking back and forth a bit, "So…what else do you got?"

"Well, there's Rider." Flynn thought, "He calls me that some but he's been using it more since we started to train with the unicorns!" He was quite proud of that nickname, thank you very much! "He says I'm gettin' really good at it!"

Toni prompted, grinning, "But what about the other night, when you got sent to bed early cause you had the sniffles?" Granted, quite a few of them had been sent that direction (apparently, playing in the rain and coming in utterly soaked made your nose run a little more and triggered mother-hen tendencies in adults) but Blastus had been adamant about a warm bath and rest for Flynn as he had looked, well, a little worse off than the rest of them. Blastus hadn't been trying to disguise the pampering either.

Red flooded Flynn's face and he was suddenly acutely aware of how his fellow trainees must feel. "Honey Cub," he admitted. "Gum, I dunno why he called me that…"

Corvi shrugged "You were flushed and when we get like that, our fur can change a little in tone. He probably thought you looked like you had a touch of yellow highlight to your face." The eldest squire gave a low and pitying chuckle. "Get used to THAT one, Flynn. I can guarantee you that it's stickin'."

Flynn scowled and inquired, looking around at the older squires, "And he called me munchkin on the training field the other day."

Cubbi winced visibly "Okay, that might trump mine."

Martinni argued, "More like ties you and me with his."

The former Glen child remarked, "What's so hard about giving….well, you know, COOL names? All those stories have these knights with these really neat names like Dragon Slayer or Troll Conqueror. And we get Tickle Bear, Blueberry, Ponytail?" He snorted "I say we're all tied for who has the worst name; we all have at least one that's terrible."

The group went quiet in silent agreement until Toni remarked, shuddering a  
little. "Yeah….our mentors have GOT to get better with the names..."

"Do we?" A voice called from the doorway. Turning, the group found a trio of Knights just grinning, leaning against the doorframe, looking rather pleased with themselves.

"How long have you been there?" Corvi accused.

Blastus shrugged, a playful smile across his face. "Long enough, Ponytail." It had been a wonderful feeling, just listening to the boys banter back and forth. The memories it had brought forth had made his heart light. It appeared that their collection of trainees did not quite grasp the nostalgic factor though, judging by the chorus of groans at his statement.

Corvi didn't budge from the window seat but did set his mentor with a look, one that was all-teenager before snorting, with a deep red coloring to his face, "Toni's right, you guys need better names."

Chuckling, Gumlittle remarked "I thought we showed great restraint, boys. I could have gone with "bubble rump" for one of you." He reached out and gave Toni's head a gentle ruffle. "Maybe "button nose" for another?" He winked at Martinni.

The olive furred trainee folded his arms tight and accused "You do this just to annoy us, don't you?"

Cubbi felt inclined to add, "Yeah, you could have come up with a LOT better names than you do. You HAVE to pick these on purpose to get under our fur, don't you?" He gave his mentor a critical look but the Captain merely laughed, shaking his head back and forth as he made his way from the doorframe and towards the gathering of boys. Swooping down, he snatched Cubbi up under his arm like a sack of potatoes and flopped on the ground, gathering an armful of cub into his lap, making the cub squeal "Oh come now, something like Tickle Bear isn't that bad is it?" Cubbi screeched in laughter as the knight attacked his ribs, running the tips of his claws against the boy's sides, "Especially when it's so accurate." Cubbi let out another playful screech, squirming a bit but it was little good in the knight's iron-clad grip.

Toni rolled his eyes but with a smile "Well I'm no bug" he commented as Gumlittle approached and the knight scooped him up in his left arm as he snagged Martinni in his right. "Hey!"

"Gummie," Martinni protested at the same time, "Put me down!" Though he couldn't hold in a screech of joy when the knight opted to hang him upside down over his shoulder. No fear. Gumlittle wasn't gonna drop him.

As for Toni, he yelped again, "No fair! I'm no bug and I'm no Blueberry!" he insisted though there was little passion in his protest. Lots of hidden squeals though that the knight was determined to bring to the surface.

"I dunno" Gumlittle replied "you squirm like one." He threw the cub over his free shoulder, spun around a bit to which Toni guffawed and the upside down Martinni screeched in delight, despite his age. "And your face is starting to resemble a blueberry quite a bit."

Corvi was known for being quick but even he was little match for a knight who had years' experience and had been raising him for most of his life. Blastus caught both Corvi and Flynn in a pretty firm grip and brought both of them to the ground with him, Corvi tucked under one arm and Flynn sprawled over his lap. The youngest of them turned onto his back and stuck his tongue out at his mentor, "You couldn't come up with something better than HoneyCub?"

Blastus merely laughed "Oh, munchkin, I thought I was using beaucoup restraint!" He gently tousled Corvi's blond hair, "Ponytail here can attest to that."

Corvi snorted but couldn't help a laugh. While the teasing at their expense was not what he pictured when he considered some time with his mentor, it was time with his mentor nonetheless. He could tolerate a wee bit of poking fun. "Uh uh," he responded, nudging Blastus lightly "Some of those names you tried on me are never seeing the light of day, Blastus!"

Blastus gave into an evil smirk "Aw, but some of them suit you so well…"

As for Cubbi, he squirmed against Plucki's grip with next to no result. Plucki was unrelenting and his grip HAD to be made out of metal. All it got, if anything, was Plucki shifting his position some and finding some other area on the cub's body that was ticklish. The ribs were a given but when the Captain flipped the boy onto his belly and decided to try the back of his thighs, the cub squealed with a pitch that most singers would have envied. "You guys cheat!"

"All's fair in love and war, Bright Eyes," Plucki corrected, "And if I recall, most boys who are ticklish on the ribs and legs, usually have at least one other spot." He gave his squire a paternal smile and added, "And I know my Tickle Bear is a wee bit vulnerable on the feet…"

"Plucki!"


	10. Chapter 10

**TIME FRAME: Cubbi is a few months shy of 12.**

You never get that serious with me."

Turning, Plucki sheathed his training blade before setting it on the rack as his sparring partner did the same. Cubbi was sitting on the sidelines and apparently had been for quite some time if his statement was anything to go by. Not that such a thing was wrong (if anything, it was encouraged!) but it was rare for Cubbi to sit still for any length of time so the Captain took note when it did happen.

"Ah, you mean the fencing," he answered the cub's question within a statement which all children seemed to love to do, and approached "You're right, I don't go that tough on you yet." Plucki waved farewell and dismissed his sparring partner for the day, Sir Burgundi who gave a nod of thanks before exiting the field, leaving Captain and Squire alone in the small left sparring circle.

The "yet" was encouraging but the cub pouted nonetheless "But the tournament is in five months Plucki. Won't help me any if I don't start getting serious until like a month out." Folding his arms, he eyed his mentor. "You don't think I can do it, do you?" While he and Plucki were quite close and indeed, it was rare that Cubbi ever caused him much trouble, at least not intentionally, this had always been a topic of contention for them. Cubbi wanting more too quickly. It was something most trainees went through and Cubbi had always been determined to prove himself.

Raising a brow at the cub, the knight remarked, a bit sharply "Honestly, Cubbi?" He could understand the strong desire, especially with Cubbi approaching the teenage years but one did not train knights for as long as Plucki without learning how to judge another. Cubbi's insinuation was a tad insulting even if Plucki could completely sympathize with the concept. He had been young once too!

Wind knocked from his sails, the squire pouted but accepted the mild reprimand "I'm sorry," he said simply "But I really want to do well with this squire tournament." Pushing off the wall, he approached his mentor. "I know you said we'd just be sticking to staves and stuff but I wanna learn more Plucki. I wanna really show what I'm capable of!"

The Captain smiled "And you will. You're learning and getting better each day-"

"So why don't you go harder on me then?" Cubbi interrupted. "You've taught me a lot but even when we train you never really do an all out spar with me!" He accused "You always hold back!"

"Of course I don't go all out with you." Plucki said simply "Just like Gumlittle won't with Toni, Martinni or Lucki. Just like Blastus refuses with even Corvi." He added "I go the level of what you can take and learn from-"

Groaning in frustration, the boy demanded "But why?! How do you even know we can't take it if we never get the chance to TRY to take it!" Cubbi was faintly aware that he probably sounded like he was whining, but he wanted to learn so much and while Plucki let him do more than most, it wasn't enough! He KNEW he could handle more "You won't even let me try! You don't think I can! You're holding me back!" Okay, maybe that was a bit much but darn it, he was so frustrated! This tournament was his chance to prove himself so why wasn't Plucki letting him learn how to do that?!

Narrowing his eyes, Plucki remarked "You are treading on very thin ice, my boy. You would be wise to chose your next words carefully." He paused and was pleased when his squire took a deep breath in, something they had been using when the boy got too wound up. "I appreciate your passion but you also need to understand that if I don't think you're ready for something, there's a good reason for it. I don't do it because I have a desire to make you miserable or because I doubt your abilities." He smiled warmly at the boy "Far from it Cubbi. You've talent and heart, a rare combination so young. However, learning the skills of fighting are not as simple as you boys seem to think."

"But I could do it!" He insisted. "Didn't I fight against you in that Trial by Combat when we first met?" He countered.

Plucki leaned against the nearby training rack "And do you really think I put half of my skills into that fight? Against a young cub? Truly, Cubbi think a moment."

Blinking, the boy considered this. After a time, he remarked "You...weren't even trying, were you?"

Shaking his head, Plucki said gently "No. You saw me face off against the ogres, didn't you?"

Nodding, Cubbi remarked "That was lots different than when you and I were in that arena." The more he thought about it, the whole style had been different. Completely separate. The more he thought about it, it had been much more like Plucki's training style.

"Trial by combat is a serious deal Cubbi but I did not doubt you did not truly comprehend that." He sat on the frame, and Cubbi leaned against it. "Not because you weren't able to but because you'd never been educated on it. I was not about to subject you to that regardless of what the Council said."

Cubbi eyed him "You were mad at them about that, huh?"

Chuckling, the Captain admitted "I was absolutely livid, my boy. When all was said and done, I gave them a heavy chunk of a piece of my mind." Shaking his head, he remarked "Knight for a day or not, you were a child."

Frowning, Cubbi asked "Why didn't you refuse then?"

"Because I feared they would just find another knight to take my place in the combat, one without the realization I had. The Council was a bit blinded by their anger at humans. Once I pointed out what they had done, when heads were cooler, there was quite a bit of regret and horror." He smiled "Even adults can make mistakes, my boy."

Cubbi nodded "I guess so." He eyed Plucki "I still wish you'd go harder on me. Gruffi always said that hard situations are what make you strong."

Thinking, the knight nodded "He's right, to some extent."

Curiosity peaked, Cubbi asked "What do you mean?"

Plucki eyed his student and said softly "Well, some types of hard experience do teach and they teach well. However, if you're exposed to something too hard, too soon, you'll break. It's a bit like..." he jumped down, gently led the way over the racks and tossed Cubbi a training sword.

"Hold that out." Cubbi obeyed as Plucki drew another training blade and hit the side of Cubbi's, fairly firmly. Adjusting his grip, Cubbi braced for the next blow and the sword stayed steady.

"Just like that, lad. With the right amount of force, we adjust, just like you did and we learn and grow stronger." Plucki waited and when Cubbi nodded understanding, he went on "But if we are given too much force, too much pressure before we know how to handle it..."

The knight fell to one knee and swung the practice blade hard, hitting the wooden one in Cubbi's hands so fiercely that the wood splintered and crumbled. Cubbi let go out of reflex and the wood erupted over the training grounds.

Shifting his gaze up at his mentor, he gawked "I...how did you DO that?!"

"Practice, knowledge and experience." Plucki said simply "But do you get my point?"

The cub nodded as Plucki quickly gathered the large wood pieces. He followed, lending aid, saying "Yeah, I guess so."

Standing, Plucki deposited the wood in a bin, waited for Cubbi to do the same and gave the boy's hands a cursory check for splinters before releasing him "So be patient, Bright Eyes."

Trotting after his mentor, Cubbi couldn't stand it anymore "That was so cool! And with just a practice sword too!"

Chuckling, the Captain ruffled the boy's hair "You'd be surprised what you can do with "just" a practice sword."


	11. Chapter 11

**TIME FRAME: Cubbi is 12**

The small clearing under the trees in the courtyard had always been a favorite spot for the squires, especially if they wanted to have a simple talk or relaxing time. As they grew older, it became a favorite study spot. Usually on days where they had tutoring in the morning, the group would leave their knapsacks there to claim their spots, grab lunch from inside and eat, study or talk until it was time to head to the training field.

This day was no exception and with the brisk autumn weather, it was rather pleasant. They could hear the adults in the distance, with Plucki leading some exercises with the newly anointed knights and Gumlittle and Blastus were doing some type of patrol around the city. It was a nice chance to catch up with the others while getting some homework done before hitting the field. With the trip to the town of Gumshore coming up, the squires used any excuse to talk about it and a nice bunch of trivia on that city's knights and history was a good start!

As it was, Martinni, Toni, Cubbi, Rexi, Denni, Neil, Flynn, and Morri were seated on the ground while Corvi sat in a tree branch above, conversing with Lucki on occasion who took another branch as his perch. With lunch made short work of, as was usually the case with boys, the group had turned to their work from tutoring. Corvi and Lucki were both pushing sixteen so they were taking practice exams for the knighthood test in addition to their usual school work but given that both of them were of above average intelligence (and that was being humble about it) most of their time was devoted to quizzing one another.

Cubbi and Toni had both recently turned twelve and Martinni was newly thirteen. Their little group had grown with some of the pages aging into squirehood and the addition of Corvi's brother Morri. They generally tried to help one another with their schooling and typically, it worked well with their strengths and weaknesses balancing out. However, as it had been for a time, Martinni's ability to understand Cubbi's struggles was a challenge. Today, it seemed, with Cubbi putting aside his reading and writing work to participate with Toni in their 'trivia question' game ("I can name any of Gumshore's knights!") because "if I have to read anymore, my head's gonna explode," Martinni felt it was his duty to intervene.

"You can't just pretend it doesn't exist," he commented to the pink squire.

Cubbi paused, blinked, "I'm not. Just putting it aside for later..."

"Like you always do," Martinni accused. "I never see you studying reading or writing. You should you know." The slightly older cub was serious and he hoped that showed in his face. Cubbi was a good candidate for knighthood but this...this lack of trying for reading and writing, it wasn't getting any better. The cub was making it in school but if the boy's speed while he read or wrote was any indication, he would be in trouble in a year or so. "Not doing it won't make it go away."

Feeling a bit attacked, Cubbi replied, "I _do_ do it. I just need a break from it, every so often..."

"You're always taking a break from it!" Martinni fired back, ignoring Flynn's 'calm down, Martin,' "I thought you wanted to be a knight!"

Cubbi stood, his dream brought under scrutiny. "I do, and I will."

Toni spoke out, "Yeah, lay off, Martin,"

"No, I won't lay off." the squire fired back, "If he wants to be a knight..." he directed his gaze back at Cubbi, "If you want to be a knight, you need to actually start trying!"

A sharp pain in Cubbi's heart at the accusation had him stammer, "Start...trying...?"

Corvi called down from his perch, "Hey, Martinni, that's enough!"

"Uh uh, I'm sick of you guys just tip-toeing around the issue," Martinni responded, stepping a little closer to Cubbi, nearly pleading with his eyes "You're a good squire Cubbi but if you wanna be a knight, you're not doing it the right way." Anyone knew that you had to read and write well and Cubbi just plain refused to do that! Waiting for him to read in tutoring was so mind-numbing irritating! If he just focused and tried, he'd be fine, like the rest of them! He refused to do that!

"I..." Cubbi began but Martinni seemed like he wanted to make a statement so he kept talking.

"You think they're gonna overlook the writing and reading?" he asked simply, "That's super-important to a knight! They're gonna quiz you on that too! Ask Lucki or Corvi, the practice tests have reading and writing stuff in it. You act like you wanna be a knight but you're not working for it! Look at how you're doing in tutoring!" He hated to be this blunt but felt it was necessary, he didn't want Cubbi to fail but if he kept this up...this procrastination, this not studying, this lack of effort, then he would! "Do you think they're gonna let a squire be knighted that can't read at his age level?"

"MARTIN!" Lucki called out, moving to jump down but the younger squire ignored him, as he seemed to be ignoring the slack jawed expressions the others were giving him.

"I'm just saying it like it is!" Martinni defended. "Cubbi, I WANT you to be a knight but if you don't start trying, don't start putting some EFFORT into it, then you're gonna fail that test!"

Cubbi didn't know what to say for a long moment. He _did_ try. He tried so hard. He stayed after a lot of times and got private tutoring and then Sir Plucki helped him as well. On his days off, he always made himself work on reading and his writing, even if he hated it. He thought...he thought he was improving, doing better. Granted, his reading and writing was still slow but it was getting better, wasn't it? He eyed Martinni, fired back, "I...do...try."

"No, you don't!" Martinni responded, "Look at this. You have a chance right now to really buckle down on that reading, really work on that writing and you just don't. Don't you care about being knighted? They aren't gonna just give it to you..."

Corvi leapt down, put a hand on Martinni's shoulder, "Martinni, stop!" he hardened his voice, "Now."

"Just 'cause you're Plucki's squire doesn't mean you get special treatment. If you keep the pace you're doing now, you're gonna fail! You won't BE a knight unless you start trying!" Martinni emphasized, praying that his words FINALLY met some listening ears. "So will you PLEASE try to get SOME motivation?"

Cubbi stood there, a moment before the tears came. He generally tried not to cry in front of the others, especially as he got older but that accusation that he wasn't trying, that he didn't care, that he was going to lose his childhood dream, that he was going to fail...it cut deep and he felt small and broken. What if...was Martinni right? Was all his work really for nothing? Was it going to amount for nothing? Was he destined to get this close and then have something his stupid brain couldn't comprehend bar him from it?

Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, Cubbi pushed past Martinni, tears finally breaking out of his eyes and tore away from the group. At first, he wasn't sure where he was going but then, as if on muscle memory, he headed right for the training field.

The remaining squires were silent just a moment more before Toni leapt up and slammed his study book in Martinni's face, much rougher than he needed to, saying, "Martinni you are such an ASS!" before tearing off from the group, but not after Cubbi. He was headed for the palace borders and Lucki knew Toni well enough to know he was going after Sir Gumlittle.

"I was just..."

"Being a know-it-all, again." Lucki snorted. "Cubbi has trouble reading, you know that. He's working on it..."

"He's had it explained a million times!" Martinni accused, throwing his arms out as he realized the remaining squires were shooting daggers at him through their eyes. "He just isn't trying and I don't want him to fail because of it!"

"Not everyone learns the same way," Corvi snarled at him, "Cubbi learns differently than us. We've TOLD you this, over and over. Let Cubbi learn his own way, you learn yours. You had NO right to attack him like that."

"I...wasn't trying to attack him," Martinni defended, "I was trying to get him to really tr-"

"You know what, Martin?" Corvi interrupted "Jus...just stop. I don't wanna talk to you right now." Grabbing his knapsack off the ground, he headed for the training field, the others following suit, leaving Martinni trailing behind.

Plucki gave a nod of praise to the younger knights. "Good, your form is better." He commended, "Try to up your speed a little and watch your left flank. You're leaving it open."

The knight in question nodded, adjusted his stance, "Better," Plucki commended, "Come at me again."

As he did so, shouting for Plucki echoed from in the distance. The attacking knight, luckily, withdrew instantly, recognizing a child's voice. They all had grown accustomed to the squires but it was rare they rushed out on the adults' training field (they were specifically told to wait on the edges if there was actual simulated combat strategies being performed) but this cry was pain-filled, more tears than words and several of the knights not on the training posts were jumping out of the way as a cub pushed through them as rapidly as he was able, "Plucki! Plucki!"

The Captain instantly dropped from the training frames and fell to his knees as Cubbi, face completely covered in tears and mucus, found his way to him and flung his arms around him, burying his face into his shoulder, sobbing loudly and harshly, "I Do try! I do! I don't WANNA fail!"

"Cubbi," Plucki stated softly, "Shh, calm down, lad." He was at a loss of where this fit could have come from but the boy was all hysterics and emotional anguish right now. Despite the boy's age, Plucki scooped him up into his arms, tightly holding him in an embrace, rubbing his back, "Shh," he soothed, trying to get the boy to calm enough to let him know what was going on but presently, the cub just sobbed and buried his face deeper into the knight's shoulder.

The younger knights around the duo looked at each other and the youngest of them, Sir Kai, stated, "Captain, we will regroup with you later. I'm sure Sir Ramsei or Sir Burgess can lead us through the rest of the exercises."

Nodding, gratefully, Plucki agreed, "Yes, seek out Ramsei, let him know that I will take over again when I am able to."

"yes, Sir." the group of knights gave their salutes and swiftly emptied that portion of the field. Plucki slowly walked to the side and into his office, shutting the door behind him. Away from the noise of the field, he pulled the blinds and sat in the large desk chair, still cradling his squire close to his chest. He had learned a long time ago that when Cubbi was upset, a decrease in stimulation was helpful so he sat, quietly, in the dimmed room, stroking the boy's back.

It took some time but gradually, the gestures did their work and Cubbi's sobs began to quiet, slightly. Plucki took advantage of it and asked, softly, still letting the boy lay against his chest and cry, "Cubbi, my dear boy, whatever's the matter?"

The cub's voice choked again and he rubbed at his eyes. "Shh," Plucki reassured him, "It's alright. I'm here." he laid his head against Cubbi's forehead, saying gently, "Bright Eyes, talk to me."

"I...I don't wanna fail." the cub finally gasped out.

Well, now Plucki was more confused than ever but kept his vocals calm, "Fail?" he repeated, stroking the boy's hair back, "Fail what?"

"M-my knighthood test." He stammered out, wiping his nose on his arm.

"Cubbi!" Plucki was shocked to say the least, "What in Gum's name brought this on? You're doing wonderfully so far and you have several years before you even need to start thinking about it..."

"Martin said I was gonna fail." Cubbi said simply, "He said my writing and-and my reading were gonna keep me from passin'. Said I wasn't...trying...Plucki, I AM! I am trying! I don't wanna fail!"

Oh, Plucki was livid. He practically saw red but forced his heart to calm and took the boy in a tight embrace, "Cubbi, Cubbi look at me." He said simply.

Rubbing his wet eyes, Cubbi obeyed though he still remained perched in Plucki's lap. Plucki met his gaze with a serious one, the one that he used when he was relaying some kind of important command or expectation.

"Are you listening?" Plucki asked simply.

Cubbi nodded, "Y-yessir."

"Cubbi, you are doing fine. You are learning at your pace and your writing and reading are improving and they will continue to improve. You are pouring your heart into it and it shows. Martinni doesn't understand-"

"But what if he's right?" Cubbi interrupted. "What if all my work is-"

"Cubbi," Plucki put a finger over the boy's mouth, "Listen to me. Have you not gotten better since last year?"

Cubbi nodded "yeah."

"And was last year better than when you first came to train?"

Nodding again, Cubbi replied "Yeah, I'm readin' short novels now."

"See?" Plucki replied "That is a massive amount of improvement in such a small time frame. And in any event, who determines when you are ready for knighthood tests? Who determines who has the heart for it? Who decides who has put in the passionate work for it?"

Finally, a small smile crossed his squire's face "You."

"And would I deny someone a chance that has been pouring their heart and soul into something or would I find a way to work with them if I needed to?"

Cubbi cleared his throat "You'd...work with them."

Plucki reached over, rubbed the boy's tear stained cheeks, "So don't you pay any mind to what Martinni says. He has quite a bit of learning to do himself. And a major portion of it is going to be on the importance of raising your teammates up, not tearing them down." He gave Cubbi a small kiss on the forehead, saying, "Don't you worry about your test, my Cubbi. By the time it comes around, you are going to blow them all away. I see it in your actions, in your heart, every single day."

"You...mean it?" Cubbi inquired, his tears finally stopped entirely.

"Have I ever lied to you, my boy?"

Shaking his head, Cubbi admitted, "Never."

"And I have no intention of starting now," Plucki reassured him as the boy slowly climbed out of his lap. "Now, go and wash up a little bit. You still feel up to a training session with the others?"

Pausing a moment, Cubbi nodded "I'd prefer not to face Martinni right now though."

"Oh, Martinni's not training."

Martinni sat silently in his room, knees drawn to his chest. When Plucki had come out to greet them, he had set such a dangerous look on Martinni that the young squire nearly took off running before he was commanding him to the side of the field, with "You will _not_ be joining us today. Sit."

Then, Gumlittle had come out, Toni trailing him, both of them looking mad as all heck. He'd conversed very shortly with Plucki, in sharp short phrases, before smiling at Cubbi and giving him a gentle tousle of the hair.

Then, he'd turned to him, "To your room, now. I don't want to find you playing, reading or doing anything but sitting on that bed. I'll be up to talk to you in a few minutes. Am I clear?"

Well, he knew better than to argue with that tone so he had left the field with a "Yes Sir," and quickly rushed to his room. Taking his boots off at the door, he had sat down and pulled his knees to his chest and that was where he had been sitting for the last ten minutes. He hadn't meant to get Cubbi so upset but he didn't understand why he was in trouble for it. He'd been trying to help him realize something important! Why was everyone getting on his case? Gumlittle hardly ever got angry and he hadn't been sent to sit in a room or a chair since he was page.

The creak of the door told him that someone was coming in.

Raising his head, his heart fell through to his feet when he saw not just Gumlittle but Sir Plucki and Sir Blastus come in as well, shutting the door behind them. All three of them held a stern look with arms crossed over their chests.

Oh Gum...

"Sir Gumlittle," he began but his mentor cut him off.

"No, you'll get your chance to speak, Martinni," Gumlittle stated, firmly, "But right now, you're to listen."

Nodding quickly, the young cub tried not to let the presence of all three of their teachers get to him. Usually, if you got in trouble, it was handled by your mentoring knight. If it involved another squire, then sometimes their knight would be here but he had never heard of anyone being spoken to, discipline wise anyway, by all three main knights. The atmosphere of his room seemed to drown in its own tension. The clouded, angry looks in each of their faces, even Blastus, made him swallow hard! Since when did Blastus get angry? He'd seen him irritated but never...angry. Not like this.

Gumlittle's sharp dangerous you-are-so-grounded tone was enough to make him nervous. His mentoring knight was usually quite calm but now, it was evident that he was furious. Gumlittle had two anger settings-loud and ferocious and calm and deadly. This time, he certainly seemed to be the latter which was rare. He'd seen it with Toni once but aside from that...never!

Then there was Plucki. Now, it didn't surprise him that Plucki was angry as he was fairly certain this had to do with what he said to Cubbi but Plucki, being Captain, was hardly ever angry. At least not outwardly. Now though, the knight looked like he wanted to bite someone's head off and the way he stood, it was the look the knight took when he was getting ready to dish out some discipline. He felt like a steak on a fire.

"Martinni," Gumlittle began, sounding exasperated, frustrated, angry and disappointed (that last one was the worst) but calm (thank Gum) "How many times are we going to have to discuss this?" he inquired, rubbing his temples. "We've talked to you about this, what, five, six times now?"

Genuinely confused, he asked, "'Bout what? What did I do wrong?"

Oh, that seemed to light a match. It was Sir Blastus that replied though, "Squire Martinni," Oh crud... title... "What is the first, the absolute first, motto a knight should live by?"

Without missing a beat, hoping it would help him, he replied, "Protect."

"No," Blastus corrected him, "I asked for the un-the first, not the second." Blastus had to always remember not to let his French slip in too much with Martinni. The squire just plain didn't pick up other languages very easily and while he knew a few words in Blastus' native French, the knight tried to make it easy by sticking to common with him. He may have been angry but he would not be disrespectful to the boy.

Martinni blinked. "I...thought that was the first."

"No," Plucki finally spoke, his tone clipped and stern, "The first thing a knight must take to heart is to build-build courage, build relationships, build strength, build harmony, build trust, build hope." Despite knowing Martinni was a child and children made mistakes, the knight felt inclined to add, with a raised eyebrow, "THAT will _definitely_ be on your knighthood test."

Head down and cheeks red, Martinni inquired, "This is about what I said to Cubbi, huh?"

"Yes," Plucki said simply, "Martinni, we've discussed the way you've spoken to Cubbi before. What happened last time, eh?"

Sighing, Martinni replied, "I got grounded last time..."

"No," Gumlittle clarified, "Plucki means what happened to what we discussed last time. Why do we have to keep coming back to this?"

"I'm just trying to help," Martinni defended. "He's smart, I know he'll be great as a knight but he doesn't try! He just thinks that the reading and writing will fix themselves and they won't. He'll fail if he doesn't get some motivation. I don't want that!"

"Alright," Plucki stated, his tone sharp but calm, though barely, "First off, let's get one thing straight-Cubbi is working hard. He is working much harder than you or any of the others see. Do you think _we_ don't work hard?"

Not seeing the connection, Martinni shook his head, "No, I know you do."

Catching on, Blastus inquired, "How? You don't see us doing half the work we do." It was rare for them to take such an accusatory tone with the boys but it seemed that given their last discussion had made little to no impact, it was time to become harsher.

Gumlittle nodded in agreement, "Most of our work, the really intensive work, occurs when you and the others are at tutoring or asleep." He eyed his squire, knelt to his level, "So how are you so sure we work hard? You don't see it."

Martinni winced, "Well, I know that knights have to do a lot to do. So, even if I don't see it, I know you guys are doing it."

Plucki frowned, "Oh, and so you just assume that Cubbi isn't working? You seem to understand that your other teammates work hard without needing physical evidence."

Martinni flushed slightly, "I'm sorry, Captain but it just...well, Cubbi still always struggles and he's usually mentioning to Toni how his marks are still low and he always seems to avoid the reading and writing so..."

Gumlittle sighed heavily, "Martinni, many times what we see is not the whole truth. If you're to be a knight, you MUST learn to understand this. We cannot make assumptions, guesstimates without evidence, without proof. Otherwise, we are being unfair and what does a knight strive to be?"

Nodding, Martinni replied, "To be fair in all things."

"And what you did..." Plucki shook his head, "It was hardly fair Martinni. I don't normally report private matters but in this case, I need to make a point-Cubbi ran onto the field to me, crying his eyes out. Sobbing, begging with me that he didn't want to fail, that you told him he would fail." the knight fixed Martinni with a stern glare, "You know better than to press something that causes upset. How any times have we told you, told all of you, that if something you wish to say seems to be causing upset, pain, that you stop. You know that his schooling is a sensitive subject for Cubbi yet you still press it. If you feel it's something important that Cubbi needs to know, you come tell me and I'll address it. You don't have enough knowledge of what kind of work he's doing to accurately judge. Do you know what kind of hurt your words do, Martinni?" He knelt, as Gumlittle had, forced his eyes to be at Martinni's level, "Have we not told you, many times, that words can cut far deeper than blades?"

Martinni nodded, "I guess...I thought that..." He stammered slightly. He hadn't meant to hurt Cubbi, at least not badly. He had known his words would cause some hurt but...

"You're not answering me," Plucki interrupted. "Have we not talked about your words hurting more than physical wounds? Have we not had this discussion before?"

Ears drooping some, Martinni sighed, "Yes," he admitted, "We've talked about it before." And they had. This was...he believed this was discussion Seven, maybe?

Blastus frowned, "Then, why, mon ami, do you continue to do so? Do we not come to your defense when harsh words are directed at you?"

Nodding, Martinni replied, "You do."

"And we will defend the other boys the same," Gumlittle reminded him.

"But sometimes you hafta be harsh!" Martinni insisted, "Writing and reading are important and Cubbi's had them explained to him lotsa times. And if he's working at them, he;s not working hard enough because he's still not that good at them. I just want him to succeed."

"Admirable," Gumlittle stated "But, again, what did we say about making assumptions?"

"It's not an assumption, Gumlittle," Martinni pressed. "If you struggle at something, you practice and you get better. Cubbi's not getting better."

"Unless," Plucki clarified, "It's the process itself. Unless it's something that is difficult for you to understand."

"What's to understand?" Martinni cried, "He's had it explained...many times, by multiple people. Reading is simple. If you can't do it, that just means you aren't trying hard enough. Cubbi likes the other stuff better so he does that. He just needs to..."

"enough." Plucki cut off the boy, sharply. "We've told you not to assume and you keep doing it, Martinni."

Blastus cut in, "If anything, mon ami, you should understand this struggle." He waited and sure enough Martinni gave him a bewildered glance. "we have discussed this with you seven times. And yet _you_ still don't get the lesson we're trying to teach either."

Blinking, Martinni replied, "Well, that's different."

"How?" Gumlittle pressed, "Cubbi has trouble comprehending reading and writing. You seem to have trouble comprehending that someone else struggles with something tha comes easily to you. You struggle with understanding others' struggles-"

"I don't!" Martinni snapped. "He isn't trying, there is not a _struggle_!" Groaning, the cub grabbed his ears, "Look, I'm sorry if I upset Cubbi but I'd rather that than have him fail!" He winced at the sharp looks he received. That came out wrong, "Well, I mean...I don't want to upset him but..."

Gumlittle's look was harsh, dark. "Martinni, that is the issue here, the main issue that you're being punished for. You seem to put your understanding, your viewpoint, about ALL else and that is not acceptable. I've talked with you about this, we ALL have. You knew what you said was upsetting him. According to Corvi, you had multiple protests from the others, asking you to stop. Is that true?"

Nodding, "It is, Gummie-"

"Uh uh," Gumlittle interrupted, "This is a serious matter and you're going to treat it as such. Look me in the eye and use my title."

Oh boy...Martinni lifted his head, addressed his mentor clearly, "It is true, Sir Gumlittle."

"And you still persisted in your comments, until Cubbi left the area to get away from them?" It was Plucki asking him this time.

"Y-yes Captain Sir Plucki." Man, he hardly ever had to use titles like this. He was in deep. He could kind of see their point. He wanted Cubbi to succeed but maybe he should have dropped it and talked to Plucki about it. He did feel bad to find out Cubbi was sobbing when he found Plucki. Hearing anyone cry was hard but for some reason, because Cubbi was usually so cheerful, his cries were worse. He'd justified that upsetting Cubbi was needed but after hearing all this, being reminded about the code he was supposed to follow...eh, it suddenly didn't seem as clear to him as before. But...well, it was obvious that reading and writing was easy...it had to be because Cubbi just wasn't trying...right?

"Does this follow the moral code that squires, pages and knights are expected to follow?" Blastus that time. They were all three addressing him.

"No, Sir Blastus."

Gumlittle took a heavy breath, "Squire Martinni Burgundi Gummi,"

Full name and title?!

"Two weeks from now, we're taking the squires to the coastal town of Gumshore, you are aware?"

Gum no...please...they had known about this trip for months! Gumshore was this underground cavernous town, in ruins for years but when the gummies returned from overseas, they had quickly started to repair it. They had uncovered so many old artifacts and inventions. The whole place was chock full of ruins, old and new inventions, old maps and even some evidence of early gummi magic. It was a very popular spot but hard to get to, a few days trip. But the knights had finally agreed to take them. Please, Gum, no...

"I...am aware," Martinni replied, softly. He knew it was coming but still...please no. Please say he was wrong...

"Unfortunately," Gumlittle rubbed his temples a moment; he HATED this part of being a mentor, even if it was needed. "due to your recent behavior, you will not be joining us. You will remain behind and assist Sir Ramsei with whatever chores and duties he requires."

Oh, come on! "Really?" he protested, his disappointment quite clear in his voice, "I don't get to go?! That's a bit much, doncha think?!"

"Trips such as these," Plucki reminded him "Are earned and are privileges, not given rights. Normally, you're correct, we would not issue such a harsh punishment but this is a repeated offense, Martinni." He eyed the boy, "And a repeated offense for something vital to a knight. The ability to see another's point of view, is vital and you refuse to see it, despite our attempts to remind you that YOUR way is not the ONLY way. You will not be going with us. Perhaps the next trip you will be ready for."

Despite himself, Martinni broke down in tears and slumped to the bed, face in his hands. Gumlittle touched his head, gently, saying, "Some lessons are harsh, Martinni. I expect you to learn from this. You won't be finishing training with us today but I do expect you to issue an apology to Cubbi when you see him. Tomorrow, you can rejoin us if there are no further incidents. Understood?"

"Y-y-yes Gumlittle," he gagged out between sobs.

The trio of knights left the room, laying against the wall as they shut the door behind them, each one of them feeling a pang of guilt as Martinni's restrained sobs became full force. Gumlittle shook his head, rubbed the bridge of his muzzle a moment before pushing away from the wall and following his brothers back towards the training field. "I know it was necessary but Gum if I don't feel like a jerk for it."

Plucki nodded, "The respect for others' feelings is a vital lesson. I can see some of Martinni's intentions were good but he's had this lecture, many times. He puts himself on a bit of a pedestal. It was time we upped the consequence."

Blastus was quiet a moment, "But we still need to address the issue of him not understanding Cubbi's plight, otherwise, we may have future issues with a similar pattern, n'est-ce pas?"

Gumlittle nodded, "I know. I just wish I knew how to reach him on that. I've tried everything I can think of and yet if Martinni doesn't struggle with it, it seems hard for him to grasp. I've explained it like a language, that learning and the process is like speaking. He seemed to take to that idea. The fact of the matter is that Cubbi speaks a learning language than many of the others..."

Blastus blinked, an idea forming, "Mon frer," he addressed his eldest brother, Plucki, "If I may...I have a thought on that."

The two elder gummies turned to him with interest. "Yes?"

"Tomorrow, allow me to run one of the obstacle courses with the boys...but I want to take one specific group: Corvi, Martinni, Morri and Flynn."

Plucki exchanged a glance with Gumlittle, "What are you planning Blastus?"

"We need to have Martinni see that Cubbi learns differently, correct?" he inquired, "I may have a way to show him."

The next morning was a gloomy atmosphere for Martinni. Aside from his punishment, it was very clear from the very first moments of breakfast that his friends and fellow squires were not about to let the previous day's events go without mention. When he sat down to the meal, no one said a word to him and Cubbi, who usually sat between him and Toni had moved to sit between Corvi and Plucki. He didn't say anything to Martinni but was his usual regular spunky self otherwise.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Martinni finally broke the odd tensional air, "I get to train, right?"

Gumlittle nodded, "You do. We're going to divide you all into smaller groups today for the obstacle courses."

Cubbi beamed, "Really?"

Plucki chuckled and ruffled the cub's hair, "No, not the third tier advanced one just yet. In due time, my boy. In due time."

Cubbi pouted but nodded. He still was getting the hang of the second tier one to be truthful anyway. Didn't mean that he wasn't going to keep asking though.

Plucki continued, "We're going to have some of you swap mentors a little bit for the first half of training, boys. Ecri isn't available today so Morri, you know to ask one of us if you have questions. He'll be back later today." He smiled and went on "Those of you that aren't swapped will swap tomorrow. It's always good to explore different training styles. Martinni, Corvi, Morri, Flynn, you will train with Blastus. Lucki, Rexi, Cubbi, Toni, you will train with me. Denni and Neil, you're with Gumlittle." He eyed them, "I don't need to remind you about the importance of listening do I?" Plucki inquired, "These obstacle courses can be difficult and dangerous. They are not places to play."

"Understood," Martinni chorused with the other boys. "We'll listen well."

"Good."

The group nodded and after about another ten minutes to complete their meals, they split and divided onto the training field, each group following their respective assigned trainer.

Martinni eyed Blastus as they stopped in front of one of the second tier training courses. This was a new one though. He could see different obstacles, things that they had never faced before. He shifted his eyes to Blastus, waiting. They always gave them some kind of instruction before sending them through as a group. Things weren't always as clear cut as they appeared. Sometimes, what looked to be a jumping obstacle because an avoidance one. Sometimes a climbing obstacle became a teamwork one. It all depended. Maybe he could earn back some points?

Blastus smiled at the anxious group and then, as he always did, gave them preparation instructions. Just, a bit different this time. Martinni seemed to understand that learning was a language so it was time to drive that message home. This time, as cold it might have bee, Martinni was going to know what it was like to not be able to process something. All the other boys-Corvi, Morri, Flynn-they worked with Blastus on a regular basis (Morri lived with him as did Cori and Corvi) so they had a distinct advantage this time:

"Aujourd'hui, vous allez faire tourner l'un de nos cours d'obstacle. C'est un nouveau, aucun d'entre vous ont travaillé par l'intermédiaire de celui-ci encore. Mais, vous avez besoin d'avoir votre écoute oreilles sur. Ne tenez pas pour acquis que vous savez ce que la direction à prendre. Je vais appeler instructions pour vous. Dans certains cas, j'ai peut-être que vous suivez le cours et grimper. Dans d'autres cas, j'aurais peut-être vous exécutez sous ou même l'éviter tous ensemble. Ainsi, vous avez besoin d'être à l'écoute. Compris, les garçons ?"

Martinni blinked once then twice, "Wha-"

Corvi, Morri, and Flynn just nodded, stood at attention, "Oui monsieur ! Est ce premier a expiré ?"

"Non, pas cette première. Je veux voir comment vous réussiraient et alors nous pouvons ajouter la pression de l'horloge, d'accord ?"

Martinni felt an odd panic settle in his stomach, "Wait...what?"

Blastus set him with a stern look, forcing himself not to cave to the boy's panicked face, "Je pensais qu'on allait être à l'écoute, un peu. Vous savez que je seul état une fois les instructions. Être mieux préparé à l'étape suivante. Maintenant, prête vous-mêmes, écuyers!"

The other boys swiftly got into a crouch, a preparation to begin. "What are..."

"Le premier obstacle, vous êtes de grimper sur elle et puis retourner dans le cadre et attendre ma prochaine commande. Sur ma marque. Rendez-vous !"

The three boys took off, leaving poor bewildered Martinni taking up the rear, "Hey, wait for me!"

"Weren't you listening?" Morri called back, "Come on!"

"I couldn't understand him!" Martinni shot back, "I don't speak French well."

Corvi rolled his eyes, "It's easy, Martin. You're just not listening." His mentor had given him a bit of a heads up on today's exercise. While the big brother in him hated to see Martin look so lost, so confused, so nervous, hopefully, it would drive home a point. "Just do it."

"How can I do it if I don't understand?" he asked as they rushed past the first obstacle. He slammed on his brakes as he noticed the other boys turning back around. "Hey!"

Flynn eyed him, "EVERYONE can understand Blastus. Come on!"

"I can't!"

"You're just not trying..." Morri added as they rushed back to stand before Blastus, at attention, with Corvi calling, "Quelle est la prochaine tâche, enseignant?"

Blastus gave each of them a nod as they formed a line, with Martinni stumbling to arrive last, "Pas mal, les enfants. Pas mal du tout. Bien que, l'un de vous a besoin d'être mieux écouter!"

Corvi, Morri and Flynn all gave Martinni a dark look with Flynn saying, "Martin, c'mon. You're slowing us down!"

"I don't understand French!" Martinni snapped in frustration and embarrassment. "Speak something I understand!"

Corvi turned, eyed the younger boy, "Why should we? We understand him fine."

"But I don't!" Martinni insisted. "It's not just YOU guys out here!"

Morri snorted, "So? It's cause you're not trying to listen. You're daydreaming or something!"

"I AM NOT!" Martinni practically snarled, his ears flat against his head, "I'm trying just as hard as you. I just don't understand French!"

Corvi turned his eyes to him, "Martinni, it's not like he's talking in code or anything. Every language follows rules. Rules on structure, grammar, all that stuff. You know how that works so you're just being lazy!"

"Lazy?" Martinni repeated, "I'm _not_ lazy!" his eyes burned. "You need to—"

"Assez de disputes, les garçons." Blastus interrupted, still in French much to Martinni's dismay. "Êtes-vous prêt pour un peu plus dur défi?"

Morri grinned, "Vous avez parié ! Obtenons-nous de faire quelques randonnées cette fois ? Ou peut-être que certains se balancer ? J'ai vu des puits d'eau plus bas !"

Blastus laughed a bit, knelt down, put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Tu aves un oeil aiguisé, un peu. Sentes-tu jusqu'à faire l'escalade ?"

Morri grinned and nodded as Flynn cut in "Nous pouvons faire les deux!" he declared.

Martinni, fed up, interrupted, "Hey! How about you include me in this? I've told you that I don't understand French! Blastus! You KNOW I don't speak French!"

Corvi turned, stated, "We all can speak it just fine. He's not even talking fast. Just listen!"

"Corv!" Martinni nearly begged, "Speaking slower isn't gonna help! I don't _understand_."

Blastus raised his hand for silence but instead of addressing Martinni's issue, he just started speaking French again! "Assez de chamailleries. J'ai une tâche différente pour vous tous de ce cycle. Nous allons utiliser l'eau de puits pour cette tâche, mais je veux que chacun de vous faire une autre action."

Corvi nodded, "Compris."

Blastus looked to each cub in turn, "Corvi, tu suives le chemin principal. Je veux que tu ne l'échangisme, en utilisant les cordes sur les stands." The teenager nodded in understanding, as the knight finished, "Une fois que tu êtes sur le site de l'autre format, tu alles monter vers le haut de la mur suivant et attendre les autres."

Corvi nodded, "Compris."

Turning to Morri, he gave another set of instructions, then to Flynn before finally looking to Martinni, "Tu êtes à utiliser le mur d'escalade pour monter sur le bar de l'autre côté de l'eau puits et rencontrez Corvi sur le mur suivant."

Barely keeping his wits together, Martinni pleaded, again, "Sir Blastus, I don't understand…"

But, as before, Blastus just gave a nod and the call for the boys to begin. This time, Martinni followed behind though still trying to keep up. He was becoming more and more frustrated, saddened, lost, and depressed. No one was trying to help him. He couldn't help that he didn't understand! He was listening! He was TRYING to understand but if he didn't understand, it went deeper than the words. He didn't understand the LANGUAGE, not the words!

As they approached the water pits, his stomach took another dive as he saw the boys splitting up, doing different things, following different directions. He…there must have been something specific Blastus asked him to do but he truly had no idea what it was. Corvi was using the rope, Flynn was running around the pits and Morri was running across the other wall. What did that leave for him? The narrow wooden bar that ran across the water pit? It was too high for him to get to but…

Running forward, he jumped for it but fell short, crashing into the water. Corvi called to him from the wall, "Martinni, what are you doing? That's not what Blastus asked you to do!"

Sitting up, soaking wet, the preteen stared at Corvi a long moment before flat out giving up and burying his face into his arms, sobbing. "I don't understand, I don't!"

Corvi paused, waved at Flynn and Morri to stop before jumping down and approaching Martinni. Was this the breakthrough finally? Could he FINALLY stop ignoring Martinni's pleas for help? It was driving him crazy! As the teen approached, he noted Blastus bringing up the rear of them. He locked eyes with his mentor, pleading, begging. Blastus gave a small smile and a nod before walking into the water himself, kneeling down. "Martinni, look at me." He said simply in common.

Utterly relieved to hear common, the boy obeyed, tears staining his face, "It's not that I'm not listening, it's not that I'm not trying, I just don't understand!"

"It's a horrible feeling, not understanding, being utterly lost, isn't it?" Blastus replied simply to the child's statement.

Blinking, Martinni nodded, "I hate it! And none of you were trying to help me, you were just acting like I was some kind of idiot because I didn't understand! I don't know everything you do!"

Corvi approached, eyed him, "Kinda like someone might not _learn_ like you do?"

Caught off guard, Martinni stared at them, from face to face and then back to Blastus, "You did this on purpose?" Realization cut into his heart. The phrases that the boys had called to him. He had used those, many a time. The scoffing, the irritation, the frustration, he had expressed all of that before too. Having it suddenly directed at him…he felt small and dishonored. That Cubbi felt that same kind of anxiety and fear and that HE had contributed to it…he was gonna be sick.

"Yes," Blastus stated simply, "Not to be cruel, Martinni but sometimes we need to experience something to truly understand it. Tell me, do you see what I was trying to do?"  
Head bowed in shame, the cub nodded, "I do. I…was never meaning to make Cubbi feel like this. I…I don't wanna make anyone feel like this!" Martinni ripped off his squire wristband, tossed it on the ground, "I'm not worthy of that! Knights don't act like that!"

Blastus waved to the other boys to scatter and they were quick to obey. Picking up the boy's discarded band, Blastus pulled the boy into his arms, "Shh. No, knights don't act like that but you are young, Martinni. Tell me. If you had understood, truly understood, that your actions caused such pain, would you have kept doing them?"

"No, no, no! Never!" He insisted. "I was…I really thought I was…" he shook his head, "I was arrogant, Blastus. Just thinking how _I_ think, how I learn."

Blastus nodded, "I cannot argue that, you were. Now though, do you see what we mean when we say not all learn like you do?"

Nodding, Martinni eyed the knight, "I'm sorry, Blastus. I'm _so_ sorry."

Blastus pulled the child close, let him cry into his chest, saying, "These are the hard years, my boy. Not all lessons are easily learned but you have the right heart…you want to help, you want to do good. Now, you know that one way to do that is to learn what language others speak…and not just verbal."

Martinni nodded, "I'll make it up to Cubbi, I will. I promise. I swear."

Blastus gently slid the wristband back over the cub's hand. "I know you will."


End file.
